President of the European Council, Antonio Costa, stated that the European Union must prepare for possible talks with Russia. Costa added in an interview with 'European Newsroom' that the EU should not currently interfere with US President Donald Trump's efforts to broker peace in Ukraine, explaining: 'If these talks stall or fail, we must be ready to continue our efforts and try to achieve a just and lasting peace in Ukraine.' The United States led diplomatic mediation efforts between Moscow and Kyiv, but these talks were eventually halted after Washington shifted its focus to the Iran war. In the interview, Costa called for restraint, saying: 'For now, our main contribution is to increase economic pressure on Russia,' while continuing to support Ukraine by all available means. He noted that rising energy prices have not changed the EU's strategy, which seeks energy independence from Russia and does not negotiate with Moscow on energy prices. It is worth noting that Ukraine continues to defend itself against the Russian war, while the EU supports it, including with financial aid.
