EU leaders debate who should represent Europe in Ukraine peace talks
Europe is expected to join the next Ukraine peace talks, but EU leaders have yet to agree who should represent it. US envoy Steve Witkoff said Europeans would be present after discussions in Abu Dhabi and Moscow with Jared Kushner, followed by a briefing for Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy in Dublin. Kaja Kallas, the EU’s foreign policy chief, and European Council President Antonio Costa are considered the leading candidates, although several national leaders want to participate directly.
German Chancellor Friedrich Merz said Ukraine, Europe, the United States and Russia must all be represented. Zelenskyy has also called for Europe to become a regular part of the negotiations. The dispute has exposed divisions within the EU, with Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni criticizing Costa for projecting an image of disunity.
European governments are particularly concerned that Washington could accept Russian demands affecting the continent’s security arrangements. Vladimir Putin has argued that Ukraine should never join NATO and suggested the alliance might reverse the accession of Finland and Sweden. He also warned that any European troop deployment in Ukraine after a peace deal would be a legitimate Russian target. Leaders from countries bordering Russia fear that decisions about their defense could be negotiated with the power they regard as a threat.
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