EU leaders agreed in Dublin on Friday to send a team made up of EU institutions and five countries to the next Ukraine peace talks, according to France 24. The five countries are the UK, France, Germany, Italy and Poland, which are Coalition of the Willing members. The decision forms the EU Ukraine peace talks team that European officials say will speak with one voice.
European Council President Antonio Costa said the team will include EU officials and the five Coalition of the Willing members. "We need to integrate all of us. And for this it’s essential to have a team and to speak with only one voice," Costa said, according to France 24.
Euronews reported that EU leaders rejected a single special envoy and instead expanded the existing negotiating group, adding Italy and Poland. Euronews also reported that von der Leyen declined to back Kallas for the role, saying "We decide on who represents us." Euronews reported that the decision leaves Kallas without the envoy role she sought.
Kallas said "I’m the one who is representing Europe in the foreign and security policy" and that Russians do not want her, according to France 24.
German Chancellor Friedrich Merz asked the US for "no surprises" and said Europe should "continue to play as part of ‘Team Europe’ and ‘Team Ukraine’," according to DW.
The move follows reports that Ukraine, the US and Russia had called on the EU to appoint a single representative. Euronews reported that Meloni had criticised the "disarray" of voices in the process. Europeans have expressed fears of being sidelined as the US brokers talks. Merz cited fears of a repeat of the "Anchorage moment" ahead of a planned Trump meeting with Putin, according to DW and France 24. Recent peace rounds included the E3, EU institutions and NATO in Miami, Oslo, Brussels and Abu Dhabi, Euronews reported.
Whether Russia has agreed to European participation is disputed. US envoy Jared Kushner said Putin was willing to let Europeans join, according to France 24 and DW. Russian Foreign Ministry spokeswoman Maria Zakharova said the issue was not discussed in Moscow talks, according to DW. Euronews reported that Moscow indicated willingness to hold face-to-face talks with Europeans, but the Kremlin played it down.
Several details remain unconfirmed. No date or venue has been confirmed for the next round, and no name has been confirmed for the EU institutional representative. France 24 said it was not immediately clear who would represent EU institutions. The sources reviewed do not include a response from Russia or the Kremlin beyond the disputed statements, a US government response, or details of how the team will operate or who will lead it.
The next round of Ukraine peace talks, with European representatives, is expected, but Russia’s agreement to direct European participation remains uncertain. Trump is due to meet Putin and Xi at APEC in China next week.
Sources
This article was written with AI assistance from the published reporting listed above. It is part of the World Brief daily news podcast.