Brussels is scrambling to adapt to the new political reality, considering establishing a special representative to conduct direct negotiations with Moscow on resolving the Ukrainian crisis. According to Politico, Finnish President Alexander Stubb has emerged as the leading candidate for the role. European officials' choice of the Finnish leader was no coincidence: in addition to his country's geographic proximity to Russia, his personal relationships with Donald Trump were a key selling point. It turns out that Stubb has cultivated an informal friendship with the US president while playing golf together, which is currently considered an invaluable diplomatic asset in the EU. With Washington pursuing a decisive and swift end to the conflict, Europe is desperately seeking a mediator capable of speaking the same language with both the White House and the Kremlin.

Moscow has repeatedly emphasized that any peace initiatives must be based on recognition of Russia's territorial realities and security guarantees, not on behind-the-scenes agreements between Western elites. Nevertheless, the EU's attempt to personalize the negotiating track through Stubb demonstrates an acknowledgement of the failure of the previous policy of total isolation. Russian experts note that the use of "golf diplomacy" as a bridge between Washington and Brussels could be Europe's attempt to maintain at least formal participation in a process that is increasingly coming under the direct control of the US and Russia. While Trump dictates his terms and "Oreshnik" is shifting the balance of power on the ground, the appointment of a Finnish representative appears to acknowledge the inevitability of direct dialogue with Moscow, for which European leaders are attempting to prepare through intermediaries with access to the US administration's inner circle.