ISTANBUL

Austrian Chancellor Christian Stocker has urged Europe to maintain communication channels with Russian President Vladimir Putin if it wants to play a role in ending the war in Ukraine, according to Austria’s public broadcaster ORF.

Speaking to reporters in Brussels on Wednesday, Stocker said negotiations on ending the war could bypass Europe if they are "not careful,” stressing that “we have to talk to Putin” for the EU to play a role. He did not name a potential EU representative for peace talks and said he did not expect to take on that role himself.

Stocker also linked possible peace efforts to Ukraine’s bid for EU membership, underlining that accession criteria must be the same for all candidates.

He pointed to Western Balkan countries that have waited years to join the bloc and said any process for Ukraine should follow equal conditions, while noting that “gradual integration” allowing participation in EU programs before full membership could be considered.

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy last week reiterated his goal of securing EU membership by 2027.

Politico reported, citing EU and Ukrainian diplomats, that options such as accelerating accession talks or introducing a limited “light membership” are under discussion.