Merkel confirmed: We did not agree

Merkel confirmed: We did not agree

The Baltic countries stressed the need for a more cautious approach to this issue.

"It was a very comprehensive and not very easy debate," the German chancellor told reporters after the first day of talks in Brussels, Reuters reports.

Merkel said that the EU leaders redefined the conditions under which they are ready to cooperate and communicate closely with Russia, but that there was no agreement on the summit.

The European Union is deeply divided in its approach to Moscow, and the members bordering Russia have rejected the Franco-German plan to continue official meetings with Russian President Vladimir Putin, AP reports. In a statement in the early morning hours today, EU leaders said only that they would "investigate the formats and conditions of dialogue with Russia", and no high-level meeting or plans for a summit with Russian President Vladimir Putin were announced.

The Baltic countries emphasize that the normalization of relations between the EU and Russia is necessary, but that the issue must be approached with caution.

"We must be careful about the real intentions of the Putin regime. For now, we do not see any radical change in Russia's behavior," Lithuanian President Gitanas Nauseda told reporters at the EU summit in Brussels.

Other Baltic states, Estonia and Latvia, are also deeply concerned about contacts with Moscow at a time when Minsk agreements aimed at peace in Ukraine are not being respected, as Russia is still in conflict with separatists backed by Russia.

President of Estonia, Kaja Kallas, said that the data of the intelligence services confirm that the sanctions against Moscow are working and that the European Union must show patience.

President of France, Emmanuel Macron, assessed yesterday in Brussels that the EU dialogue with Russia is necessary for the stability of the European continent, but he also pointed out that the EU does not give up its values ​​and interests in the dialogue with Moscow.

France and Germany have proposed a summit of the EU and Russian President Vladimir Putin, and Moscow said yesterday that it supports all initiatives that could encourage dialogue between Brussels and Russia.

Russia is the EU's largest supplier of natural gas and plays a key role in a number of international conflicts and issues related to European strategic interests, including the Iranian nuclear agreement and the conflicts in Syria and Libya.