EU summit: who should negotiate with Putin?

Sharp disagreements emerged among EU member state leaders at a European Council summit in Brussels over European Council President António Costa's overtures to the Kremlin. Tensions overshadowed the meeting, originally dedicated to discussion of the EU-China trade deficit. That same week marks the 10th anniversary of the Brexit referendum, bringing together key figures from that era.

Deep disagreements surfaced among EU member state leaders at a European Council summit in Brussels over European Council President António Costa's initiative to contact the Kremlin. Disagreements dominated the meeting, which was originally planned as a discussion of the EU-China trade deficit.

Dispute over Kremlin contacts

The question of who should conduct negotiations with the Russian president on behalf of the European Union, and whether such talks should happen at all, has divided European leaders into two camps. President Costa's steps toward the Kremlin have raised concerns in several member states, which view such an approach as premature or fundamentally problematic.

Journalists present in Brussels noted that trade matters with China took a back seat as the diplomatic debate over engagement with Russia became the evening's main topic. This reflects broader tensions within the EU over how to balance the need for peace negotiations with the principle of supporting Ukraine.

Remembering the 10th anniversary of Brexit

That same week, Brexit's key players looked back on a decade since the United Kingdom's decision to leave. Former British foreign secretary and health secretary Jeremy Hunt, who served in David Cameron's cabinet, has published a book titled "Can We Be Rich Again?" which addresses the UK's economic challenges since Brexit.

He spoke with Peter Altmaier, former German chancellor Angela Merkel's closest associate, who led the chancellery and served as finance and economics minister during those difficult years when the EU27 and the United Kingdom conducted withdrawal negotiations.

Both men offer a rare insight into the decision-making processes of that time and discuss where the relationship between the EU and the United Kingdom might go next.