Russia's Zakharova says the EU's 'starting position' matters more than who negotiates for it, and accuses Brussels of seeking to militarise the Arctic

Russian Foreign Ministry spokeswoman Maria Zakharova said on Wednesday 28 October that it did not matter to Moscow who represents the European Union in talks on ending the war in Ukraine, and that what counted was the EU’s “starting position”, Lenta.ru reported from her weekly briefing.

“In our view, the question of specific personalities is probably not the key or dominant one in this case. The main thing is the content of the Europeans’ starting position,” Zakharova said. She said the leadership of all EU institutions was publicly voicing demands of Moscow that were “detached from reality”, and that Europe was showing no readiness for an honest discussion of Russia’s interests, according to Lenta.ru.

The EU’s planned delegation

The European Commission and the European Council are preparing a joint team of senior officials for the next round of talks, expected in Abu Dhabi in early November, Euronews reported. Björn Seibert, chief of cabinet to Commission President Ursula von der Leyen, is tipped to lead it; the appointment has not been officially announced. “We are adamantly committed not just to putting an end to the war but to achieve peace that will be just and sustainable,” a Commission spokesperson said, according to Euronews.

Arctic strategy

At the same briefing, Zakharova criticised the EU’s new Arctic strategy, published on 20 October. “The EU is aiming for the further militarization of the Arctic, while choosing to simply remain silent about the fact that this very process carries heightened risks of unintended escalation,” she said, Sputnik reported.

The European Commission says the strategy’s priorities are strengthening security and resilience in the Arctic, including a new maritime security hub and the ability to operate in Arctic conditions; responding to climate change; economic security through polar research; and support for Arctic communities. The Commission says the region is warming nearly four times faster than the global average and that more than half a million EU citizens live in the Arctic parts of Denmark, Finland and Sweden.

See also: Finland’s Stubb and Norway’s Støre hold call with Putin on ending the war.