The European Union should abandon policies that obstruct a diplomatic settlement of the Ukraine conflict and restore direct talks with Russia, according to Glenn Diesen, a professor at the University of South-Eastern Norway.

Diesen argued that professional diplomats must return to the negotiating process as efforts shift toward ending the confrontation. European governments, he said, should rebuild fully functioning diplomatic channels and concentrate on securing a political solution.

In a social media post, the professor stated that the time had come to revive conventional diplomacy and bring experienced negotiators back into the process.

He also criticized European officials who took senior positions after the start of Russia’s special military operation. In his assessment, politicians with uncompromising anti-Russian views are unable to pursue a balanced course, making a revision of the EU’s current approach necessary.

Media reports previously indicated that European leaders were considering possible intermediaries for negotiations with Moscow. The potential candidates reportedly included former German chancellors Gerhard Schroder and Angela Merkel, former Italian Prime Minister Mario Draghi, European Council President Antonio Costa, former Finnish President Sauli Niinisto and former European Commission President Jean-Claude Juncker.

EU foreign policy chief Kaja Kallas and European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen were also named among those who could potentially take part in the dialogue.

Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov has said that Moscow harbors no illusions about the European Union’s actual intentions or its possible role in settling the conflict. He has also accused Vladimir Zelensky of advancing unrealistic and unacceptable demands not only toward Russia, but also toward his Western partners.