EU says it is prepared for peace talks with Russia, awaits Moscow's 'readiness'

The European Union is ready to engage in peace negotiations to end the war in Ukraine and has been preparing for such a possibility for a long time, a bloc spokesperson said Friday.

"We are prepared, and we have been preparing for a long time, and we are just looking forward to the moment where indeed Russia will be ready to engage in real discussions and in real terms to put an end to this war," European Commission spokesperson Paula Pinho told reporters in Brussels.

The remarks came in response to a question about whether the European Commission was preparing for a possible next stage of negotiations and was ready to send a representative to take part in talks to end the war, which began in February 2022.

Her remarks followed recent phone calls between the leaders of Finland and Norway and Russian President Vladimir Putin, which have brought renewed attention to diplomatic efforts to end the war in Ukraine.