The meeting of the European Council is underway in Brussels. Fresh from the G7 in Evian, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy will join the 27 EU leaders to make the case for his country's membership ambitions, which he wants to fast-track.
The debate will also address the possibility of engaging diplomatically with Russia to achieve a lasting peace in Ukraine. Though Moscow is still stuck to its maximalist demands, officials in Brussels are laying the groundwork for direct negotiations.
The team of European Council President António Costa made "brief contacts" with Russia at a "diplomatic level to open communication channels, but nothing was discussed on substance", an EU official confirmed this week.
Costa is one of the names who have been floated as a potential special envoy.
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