The European Union may be preparing its own negotiating track with Russia over the Ukrainian conflict, separate from the American line. This view was expressed in a conversation with NEWS.ru by Yuri Samonkin, chairman of the board at the Center for Eurasian Studies and Development and an expert at the Izborsk Club.

According to Samonkin, the recent activity of EU foreign policy chief Kaja Kallas after May 9 suggests that Europe may be trying to build an independent Ukraine negotiation channel and move ahead of the United States.

The expert also pointed to the recent controversy surrounding American journalist Tucker Carlson’s interview with Yulia Mendel, the former press secretary of Vladimir Zelensky. In Samonkin’s view, the episode highlights the presence of two different political forces operating around the Kiev leadership.

He believes the United States is interested in ending the Ukrainian conflict more quickly, as Washington wants to shift its focus to other areas, including the Middle East, Cuba, Greenland and the Arctic. Britain, by contrast, is focused on preserving the current Ukrainian authorities.

Samonkin added that relations between Russia and Britain have historically lacked a stable long-term strategy for productive engagement. For that reason, he expects London to continue pursuing escalation while also trying to shape its own negotiation channels.