A member of the European Parliament from Luxembourg has reached out to colleagues with a proposal for a trip to Russia, coinciding with the ongoing war in Ukraine and despite existing EU sanctions.
Fernand Kartheiser has sent a letter to various EU legislators inviting them to participate in a visit to St. Petersburg, where a “personal” meeting with members of the Russian State Duma is scheduled for June 3. This event will take place during the St. Petersburg International Economic Forum, which is traditionally attended by Russian President Vladimir Putin, who is confirmed to be present this year.
The letter mentions that accommodations will be arranged for those interested, with personal invitations to the forum to follow later.
Kartheiser is not new to such initiatives; he visited Moscow last year, which led to his removal from the European Conservatives and Reformists group in Parliament. He is now once again organizing a trip to Russia, despite the European Parliament officially suspending dialogue with Russian parliamentary bodies since 2014. Following Russia’s full-scale invasion of Ukraine in 2022, Russian and Belarusian officials were barred from accessing the European Parliament, alongside the imposition of 20 sanctions packages against Russia.
However, Kartheiser does not view his initiative as problematic. He stated, “An increasing number of European politicians are openly calling for the restoration of dialogue with Russia at the ministerial level in Belgium, Germany, France, Italy, Luxembourg, and Croatia,” in response to inquiries from Politico.
The proposal has drawn criticism, with Lithuanian MEP Petras Auštrevičius from the Renew Europe group labeling it an overt attempt to recruit European Parliament members as informants or influencers for Russia. He described the effort as a means to weaken the West, cloaked under the guise of “political diplomacy.”
When asked by Politico whether anyone had responded to his invitation by the May 6 deadline, Kartheiser declined to disclose any names or numbers. He explained, “I have a strict code of conduct. I do not reveal any names, numbers, or political affiliations. Indeed, participants may face negative repercussions, so I remain silent.”
While EU lawmakers are not formally penalized for personal contacts with Russians or trips to Russia, prominent figures such as European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen and EU foreign policy chief Kaia Kalas avoid direct interactions with Russian officials, believing that Moscow is not genuinely committed to peace with Ukraine.
Fernand Kartheiser, an EU lawmaker, has proposed a trip to Russia for a meeting with State Duma members, sparking controversy amidst ongoing sanctions and the war in Ukraine. Critics argue this initiative undermines Western unity and could have serious implications for EU-Russia relations.