United States RussiaNext week will be key for talks and EU diplomats are disappointed the bloc won’t attend.

Russian invasion possible UkraineMany leaders are concerned about this issue due to multiple reports of increased military activity near the border. Top U.S. officials and Russian officials will meet in Geneva, Switzerland, Monday to try to reduce tensions. The meeting is preceded by further talks between Russia, NATO members and other countries on Wednesday.

However, the EU — the political and economic group of 27 nations — will not be present as a whole despite several of its members bordering with Russia.

“Without the Ukraine, security cannot be achieved in Europe.” It is evident that any discussion about European security should include the European Union as well as Ukraine,” Josep Borrrell, EU’s top representative for foreign affairs said during a Wednesday press conference.

Ukraine is the first to be included in any discussion on Ukraine. Borrell stated that the discussion about European security cannot take place without consultations and the participation of Europeans. He was speaking in Ukraine where he visited an area where small-scale military clashes have been ongoing for many years between pro-Russian troops and Ukrainian soldiers.

The visit was the EU’s first to the conflict-affected region.

Teneo analyst says it’s not unusual for EU members to leave the discussions.

Andrius Tursa said Wednesday, in a note, that “the sidelining of EU from the future talks is hardly surprising given that NATO and particularly the U.S. serves as the principal guarantor security in CEE(Central and Eastern Europe)”,

In fact, the EU as a whole does not have a strong defense capacity — it relies mostly on NATO, and to some extent on the U.S., when it comes to security.

However, the EU has a lot on its hands in the upcoming negotiations with Russia. This includes the energy sector.

Russia supplies the majority of European natural gas imports. According to Eurostat, it was 43% of total gas imports into the bloc in 2020. A key link between Russia, Germany and Germany is the pipeline. Nord Stream 2, is hanging in the balance amid the ongoing tensions with the Kremlin — this is a problem for Russia because it could be making more money from gas exports, and for the EU too because it could help containing some of the price increases registered in the last months.

CNBC heard from Wolfgang Ischinger, the former German Ambassador to the U.S. Nord Stream 2 is something that the EU can use to pressure Moscow.

Ischinger, who is now the chairman of Munich Security Conference said, “I believe the pipeline represents an important item of leverage for our company, if we manage it well.”

Borrell has stated that he wants to participate in Russian talks almost one year later. a “humiliating” trip to Russia.

Last February, the EU’s highest diplomat went to Moscow to protest the detention of Alexei Navalny, a Russian opposition politician. Borrell received a lot of criticism for failing to respond to comments made by his Russian counterpart about the EU being an “unreliable partnership.”

According to analysts, this brought the EU-Russian relations to an all-time low.

Their relationship is further complicated by concerns over a possible Russian invasion of Ukraine.

Borrell declared Wednesday, “The border conflict is about to escalate and tensions have been growing with respect for the European security overall.”

According to estimates, around 100,000 Russian soldiers have been stationed at the border of Ukraine and Russia. Both countries have been at war since 2014 — the year when Moscow annexed Crimea.

According to the Kremlin’s part, there are no plans for Ukraine invasion.

Russia demanded NATO and the U.S. to reduce their presence in Eastern Europe, and not permit Ukraine to join the military alliance.

NATO’s founding principle is that any attack on one member is an attack against them all.