Can EU find a Russia whisperer to mediate an end to war in Ukraine?

Vladimir Putin claims he is open to the idea as long as whoever is appointed "has not said all sorts of nasty things about us".His own suggestion for an EU envoy, though, was German ex-chancellor Gerhard Schröder, a close ally of Moscow and long-time lobbyist for its interests.The EU's foreign policy chief Kaja Kallas rejected the idea immediately: Schröder, she said, would be "sitting on both sides of the table".The two-day gathering that opens in Cyprus on Wednesday will allow ministers to set out their countries' stalls with more freedom than a formal summit.Since Russia's full-scale invasion in 2022, most have pursued a policy of isolation and sanctions, and not all agree on the wisdom of initiating even limited contacts.Some, like Sweden and Lithuania, see Russia as squeezed now and want the pressure increased not eased. Others, like Italy, argue that it's unwise to stay on the sidelines any longer.In March, Kallas circulated some starting points for discussion, described by one EU official as "food for thought". Her goal is to formulate a joint EU position regarding Russia – and set any red lines – before initiating contact.Whilst the idea of appointing an envoy, perhaps even a group of them, will be floated in Cyprus, serious discussion would only happen at the level of EU leaders, potentially at their summit next month.Meanwhile, Ukraine wants to "break the deadlock" and is pushing for progress, the EU official said."This must not become a prolonged process focused only on discussions about who should represent, how many people, and what format. No. This must happen quickly," Sybiha warned.AFP via Getty ImagesVolodymyr Zelensky wants to break the diplomatic deadlock over Russia's invasion of his countryIn Kyiv, analyst Yaroslav Smovzh believes that engaging with Moscow is "doomed" unless the EU comes from a position of strength."There is a sense that Europe has somewhat lost its sense of agency in international affairs, especially regarding such an important large-scale war in Europe," says Smovzh, from the Adastra think tank."But if Europe wants to act as an independent and neutral intermediary it will not yield any results, just like the US did not achieve any success," he says, arguing that Russia needs to "be intimidated"."So far Europe's response to Russia's behaviour in its [own] territory has been somewhat unconvincing."As the EU talks about talks, Ukraine has been increasing the pressure on its neighbour itself with repeated deep strikes on Russian oil export facilities. It calls them its "long-range sanctions", and Moscow's latest large-scale attacks on Ukraine show that it's rattled.