The debate gained momentum after US presidential envoy Steve Witkoff met Putin in St Petersburg on 21 October, according to Politico, which cited European diplomatic sources.
Alongside European Commission President von der Leyen and European Council President Costa, the names floated include the EU's top diplomat, Kaja Kallas. Some diplomats have suggested Finnish President Alexander Stubb.
One diplomat described Stubb as the only European politician so far to have shown leadership at a high level. According to Politico, his case is helped by having the best relations with US President Donald Trump of any EU leader and by Finland's long border with Russia. Stubb took part in a meeting between Volodymyr Zelensky and Witkoff in Oslo before the envoy's trip to Russia.
Some diplomats argue Costa should lead the talks. One of Politico's interlocutors assessed that the European Council president could act as a more impartial mediator than von der Leyen or Kallas, who are seen as politicians more closely aligned with backing Ukraine. At an EU summit in Brussels last week, European leaders asked Costa whether the time had come to talk to Putin. He said no, but acknowledged the need for dialogue if the European Union intends to take part in a negotiating process.
Czech President Petr Pavel told the Axel Springer Global Reporters Network that Putin does not regard the European Union as an authority. According to Pavel, the Russian president does not want to talk to von der Leyen and Kallas and has also stopped communicating with other European leaders, including Emmanuel Macron. In that situation, Pavel argued, the EU must identify a person or group of people to speak on Europe's behalf.
One of Politico's sources stressed that the EU needs to agree on a single representative rather than sending several politicians to the talks at once. The choice of candidate, the source said, should be guided by practical effectiveness rather than individual politicians' desire to strengthen their own positions.
Putin has previously named former German chancellor Gerhard Schroeder as his preferred negotiator from Europe. Kallas said Schroeder was unsuitable for the role because he had previously lobbied for Russian state companies, and that in such a case he would end up on both sides of the negotiating table.
Politico reported in January that the EU was already discussing the idea of sending a special representative to talks on Ukraine. At the time the initiative was backed by several European leaders, including Macron and Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni.