Photo: Tanjug/TASS Host Photo Agency Pool via AP

France and Germany today proposed a meeting between the European Union and Russian President Vladimir Putin in order to improve mutual relations, which would be the first such conversation since 2014.

The meeting would take place after the meeting between US President Joe Biden and Putin earlier this month in Geneva, at a time when Paris and Berlin are dissatisfied that the European Union’s approach to Russia in recent years has been reduced to sanctions, according to Reuters.

“We have to discuss how to get out of this negative spiral, but we have to be united,” said one European diplomat, who points out that the Baltic states could oppose such a meeting.

It is not yet clear whether the meeting would include all 27 leaders of the Union members or only the President of the European Commission, Ursula von der Layen, and the President of the European Council, Charles Michel.

European Union leaders will discuss a new strategy for managing worsening relations with Russia on Thursday, at a two-day summit in Brussels.

“Germany and France have given some ideas for an EU debate on Russia. Merkel said earlier that the United States shouldn’t be the only one to talk to Russia and China at the highest level. “Russia is a neighbor, and such a format already existed in 2007 in Finland,” a person informed about the meeting about Russia told Reuters.

(N1)