MEPs’ informal meetings with Russian officials spark fresh concerns in Brussels

Concerns over informal channels of communication between EU lawmakers and Russian officials are resurfacing in Brussels, as members of the European Parliament continue to engage in private meetings with representatives of Russia despite a long-standing institutional freeze on relations. The developments highlight a growing tension between the EU’s formal sanctions regime and the individual freedom of mandate enjoyed by elected officials.

The issue came into focus following the latest plenary session of the European Parliament in Strasbourg on 30 April, when Luxembourgish MEP Fernand Kartheiser circulated an email to colleagues referring to a “successful and constructive meeting” held earlier with Russian lawmakers in April in Istanbul. The meeting reportedly included both MEPs and members of Russia’s State Duma, despite the absence of any official framework for such exchanges.

Kartheiser’s message also included an invitation to MEPs to attend the St. Petersburg International Economic Forum in June, along with an offer to assist with travel arrangements. The outreach has drawn attention in Brussels, where official contacts with Russian parliamentary institutions have been suspended since 2014 following the annexation of Crimea, and further restricted after Russia’s full-scale invasion of Ukraine in 2022.

Kartheiser, who was expelled from the European Conservatives and Reformists (ECR) group last year after attending an economic forum in Moscow, has consistently defended such engagements as efforts to maintain dialogue with Russia, particularly on issues related to Ukraine and sanctions. Recent reporting by Politico Europe indicates that these contacts have continued through a series of meetings and videoconferences involving senior Russian officials, including Leonid Slutsky.

In response to questions, Kartheiser said his activities are conducted strictly in a personal capacity and financed with his own resources. He declined to disclose the names of other participants, arguing that doing so could expose them to political repercussions.

The European Parliament maintains that its institutional position remains unchanged. In a written response to Capital, its press service reiterated that there has been no formal cooperation with Russian parliamentary bodies since 2014. It also confirmed that Russian and Belarusian representatives have been denied access to Parliament premises since March 2022. At the same time, it acknowledged that MEPs are not bound by a fixed mandate and may engage in contacts independently, provided they do not represent the institution.

Checks of the Parliament’s transparency registers do not indicate participation by Bulgarian MEPs in the Istanbul meeting, although the broader pattern of informal contacts extends beyond any single national delegation.

The controversy feeds into wider concerns about foreign influence within EU institutions. In April 2026, leaked recordings published by the investigative network VSquare suggested the existence of established channels of Russian influence at high political level within the European Council. The revelations led to accusations against Hungarian Foreign Minister Péter Szijjártó of sharing sensitive information related to Ukraine’s EU accession process.

Operation Budapest – Moscow’s men in Brussels

The recordings also pointed to close communication between Szijjártó and Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov, including discussions linked to EU sanctions and references to exchanges involving Vladimir Putin and U.S. President Donald Trump.

Speaking in Hamburg at an event marking the anniversary of Die Zeit, European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen underlined the geopolitical dimension of the challenge, arguing that EU enlargement remains key to preventing external influence from actors such as Russia, Turkey and China.

However, the persistence of informal contacts, combined with recurring influence-related scandals – from Huawei to Qatargate and Russia, continues to raise questions about the effectiveness of the EU’s internal safeguards and ethical framework.

While official engagement with Moscow remains frozen, the latest developments suggest that unofficial channels remain active, exposing a gap between formal policy and political practice within the EU institutions.

Caption: MEP Fernand Kartheiser, 12.05.2025/Laurie DIEFFEMBACQ, EP

The original article in Bulgarian by Capital.bg can be found here.