Irish Prime Minister Micheal Martin wants European Union leaders to settle within two weeks who will speak for the bloc in Ukraine talks, a decision that could shape Europe’s role in negotiations involving U.S. envoys.
Martin said the choice should be settled “within the next week or two,” according to AFP, which reported on the discussions from Dublin. Officials are debating not only who will represent Europe but also which issues the bloc should raise with Moscow.
AFP reported that representatives from the EU, Britain, France and Germany were present around this week’s talks in Abu Dhabi. The agency said Germany’s Friedrich Merz favors keeping a group of national and EU officials involved, while others back having the bloc’s senior officials represent it under EU treaties.
The format remains unsettled. AFP reported that U.S. envoys said after meeting Russian President Vladimir Putin on Thursday that Europe would join future negotiations, while the Kremlin said no decision had been made. U.S. envoy Jared Kushner linked Europe’s participation to discussions about broader European security arrangements after the war.
EU foreign policy chief Kaja Kallas said a ceasefire should come first, arguing that starting with Moscow’s wider security demands could distract from stopping the fighting. She also said Russia should not choose Europe’s representative and put herself forward as a possible candidate, AFP reported. EconoTimes previously covered Kallas’ warning that a ceasefire should precede wider European security talks.
European Commission chief Ursula von der Leyen said Europe should be included in peace discussions to defend its interests and continue supporting Ukraine, AFP reported. The agency said Moscow wants talks to address a reworking of Europe’s wider security order and appears to be renewing demands to roll back NATO. EU leaders were expected to discuss representation at their Dublin meeting, AFP reported.
