The President of Finland, Alexander Stubb, stated that the countries of the so-called “coalition of the willing,” which are ready to provide security guarantees for Ukraine after a possible peace agreement with Russia, support the idea of direct contact between one of the coalition leaders and Russian President Vladimir Putin.
This is reported by Kyiv24
At a press conference with Austrian President Alexander Van der Bellen, Stubb noted that he personally supports the candidacy of French President Emmanuel Macron or British Prime Minister Keir Starmer for this role.
Negative Consequences of the War in Ukraine
The Finnish president emphasized that the issue of appointing a single representative for the coalition was discussed during a meeting in Paris on March 27. He added that anyone who contacts Putin must have a clearly coordinated negotiating position agreed upon by all members of the group.
Composition of the Coalition and Its Goals
The informal “coalition of the willing” consists of about 30 countries, including most European Union states, as well as Canada and Australia. The United States is not included in this list. Several countries have expressed their readiness to send troops to Ukraine to maintain peace, while others are prepared to provide assistance in various forms. France and the United Kingdom are the informal leaders of this coalition.
Macron has met with Putin multiple times before the Russian invasion of Ukraine in 2022 and has also called him afterward. However, the last conversation took place more than two years ago. Starmer, who took over the British government last year, has yet to communicate with Putin. The Kremlin has stated its readiness for dialogue but categorically denies the possibility of deploying foreign contingents in Ukraine, especially from NATO countries.
“…whoever contacts Putin must have a clearly coordinated position.”