European Council President Seeks Russia-Ukraine Peace Talks Through Kremlin Contact on June 17

According to sources cited by Jin10, European Council President Antonio Costa contacted the Kremlin on June 17 to push Russian President Vladimir Putin to engage in discussions on ending the Russia-Ukraine conflict. Costa's chief advisor held two calls with a senior Russian official close to Putin, aiming to pave the way for more substantive negotiations.

Germany, France, and the United Kingdom have separately discussed strategies to coordinate with Ukrainian President Zelensky on bringing Putin to the negotiation table. European officials see an opportunity window as Russian forces face battlefield challenges, Ukraine intensifies strikes on Russian territory, and war economic costs continue to rise.