German Official Says Window for EU-Russia Dialogue on Ukraine Emerging

(Central News Agency, Berlin, 3rd, comprehensive foreign news) A German official said on Monday that a window for dialogue between Russia and the European Union on the Ukraine issue is gradually emerging, and that it is crucial to establish a dialogue model that is both effective and seen as legitimate by all European parties.

The official added that there are strong indications that the European Three (E3) – Germany, France, and Britain – will continue to play an important role in this regard.

The pace of the Russian military's advance this year has slowed. Ukrainian forces are increasing pressure on the battlefield and intensifying long-range strikes inside Russia, including an attack on St. Petersburg on Monday, ahead of Russian President Vladimir Putin's annual economic forum.

A top aide to Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy has said that reaching an agreement to end the war by winter is "realistically achievable."

According to Reuters, the German official indicated that recent battlefield developments suggest the dialogue process is likely to take months, not weeks, and that ensuring the process has Ukraine's full consent is paramount.

The official also stated that maintaining "coordination, not competition" with the United States must remain a guiding principle. Washington has recently focused on Iran, and the Russia-Ukraine peace talks it was pushing have stalled.

Putin had previously proposed that former German Chancellor Gerhard Schroeder represent the European side in future talks with Moscow, a suggestion that has been rejected by Germany and other European governments.