[Interview] Italy’s Meloni is EU’s best hope of charming Putin in Ukraine peace talks, former Russian spy says

Italian prime minister Giorgia Meloni is Europe’s best hope of charming Russian president Vladimir Putin into a viable peace deal, a former Russian spy believes, but there is no sign yet that Putin wants to stop the Ukraine war. “Meloni has charisma. She’s decisive and unpredictable,” said Sergei (full name withheld), who is a retired officer from Russia’s SVR foreign intelligence service. “She can be reckless and Putin can relate to that … Yes. Meloni definitely interests him,” he told EUobserver. The 27 EU leaders will discuss the creation of a high-level Russia envoy at a summit in Dublin on Friday (13 November), after Meloni complained to EU Council president António Costa that European diplomacy on the Ukraine war was a mess. For the time being, eight officials (from France, Germany, Italy, the UK, the European Commission, the EU Council, and Nato) will represent Europe at the next round of US-mediated talks between Russia and Ukraine, taking place in Abu Dhabi on Tuesday and Wednesday (10-11 November). But the EU aims to anoint a more high-level Russia negotiator or group of negotiators at its next formal summit on 17 December, amid US president Donald Trump’s new promise of an imminent peace deal. To read this story, log in or subscribeEnjoy access to all articles and 25 years of archives, comment and gift articles. Become a subscriber for as low as €1,75 per week.Read without limitsAlready a subscriber? Login