Austrian Chancellor Christian Stocker has asked Europe to maintain communication channels with Russian President Vladimir Putin if it wants to play a role in ending the war in Ukraine, reports Anadolu.

According to Austrian public broadcaster ORF, Stocker speaking to reporters in Brussels on Wednesday said that negotiations to end the war could bypass Europe if they are “not careful” and stressed that “we have to talk to Putin” who EU to play a role. He did not name a potential EU representative for peace talks and said he did not expect to take on the role himself.

Stocker also linked possible peace efforts to Ukraine’s bid for EU membership, underscoring that admissions criteria should be the same for all candidates.

He pointed to Western Balkan countries that have waited years to join the bloc and said any process for Ukraine should pursue equal conditions, while declaring that “gradual integration” allows participation in EU programs before full membership is considered.

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy last week reiterated his goal to secure EU membership by 2027.

Politico, citing EU and Ukrainian diplomats, reported that options such as accelerating the acceptance talks or the introduction of a limited “easy membership”.

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Source: prizrenpost