During the debate, several EU leaders criticized European Council President António Costa over his contacts with Moscow. According to RMF FM correspondents, concerns focused not only on the talks themselves but also on how they were conducted and the potential political risks involved. The main criticism was that not all member states had been informed about Costa's actions.
Poland, the Baltic states and several Nordic countries, in particular, warned against placing "excessive trust in the Kremlin." Polish Prime Minister Donald Tusk said Poland would not commit to decisions made in forums where it was not represented, including the E3 format comprising France, Germany and the United Kingdom.
On June 17, Bloomberg, citing sources, reported that Costa had established contact with Kremlin representatives in an effort to engage Vladimir Putin in discussions on possible ways to end the war in Ukraine.
During the European Council summit in Brussels on June 18, Costa told EU leaders that restoring limited diplomatic contacts with Russia was necessary, in his view, to "maintain a channel of communication and protect the European Union's interests" in the future.
On June 19, Politico reported that several EU countries were dissatisfied with Costa's contacts with Russia. According to the report, French President Emmanuel Macron and German Chancellor Friedrich Merz were among those who criticized attempts to establish communication with Putin.