Europe has agreed on a joint representation in upcoming negotiations aimed at ending the war in Ukraine. Instead of appointing a single envoy, a diplomatic team will be formed, including representatives from European Union institutions and five countries that support Ukraine: the United Kingdom, France, Germany, Italy, and Poland. The decision was announced by European Council President António Costa following Friday’s summit in Dublin, Ireland.
Europe to Be Represented by a Joint Diplomatic Team
During the informal summit in Dublin, European leaders discussed how to ensure that Europe has its own voice in talks about Ukraine’s future. The result is an agreement to create a joint team representing both the European Union and selected countries outside its institutional framework.
European Council President António Costa confirmed that the team will include representatives from the EU and the so-called “Coalition of the Willing”—specifically, the United Kingdom, France, Germany, Italy, and Poland.
Costa emphasized that the goal is coordinated action and a unified European stance. “It is important that all relevant European partners take part in the diplomatic process and are able to speak with one voice,” he stated.
Why These Five Countries?
The selection relates to the role these states play in supporting Ukraine and drafting security guarantees for the period after the fighting ends.
France, Germany, Italy, and Poland are significant European countries with their own diplomatic and political interests concerning the continent’s future security arrangements. Although the United Kingdom is no longer an EU member, it remains one of Ukraine’s key European partners.
Poland has a special role in this group, given its geographic position. As a country on NATO’s eastern flank, Poland has long highlighted the security risks linked to Russian policy and advocates strengthening the region’s defense.
Including the United Kingdom also ensures that the views of European countries outside the EU, but actively supporting Ukraine, are reflected in the joint effort.
Why Europe Wants to Take Part in the Talks
European concerns grew after negotiations between Ukraine, Russia, and the United States began without the direct participation of European representatives.
European countries are concerned that Washington and Moscow could decide the continent’s future security order without European partners having a say in the outcome.
French President Emmanuel Macron warned on Thursday that Europe must have a clear and unified vision for the negotiations. In his view, European countries first need to agree on shared goals, and only then finalize the details of their representation.
Macron also stressed that European states must play a decisive role in shaping the future of Europe’s security.
Ukraine Welcomes Greater Involvement from European Partners
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy also supports a more active European role. During a visit to Denmark, Zelenskyy welcomed that European countries have become more involved in diplomatic consultations.
Zelenskyy said it is important that Europe has a voice in decisions about continental security. Ukraine also insists that no decisions about its future should be made without Kyiv’s participation.
In recent days, Zelenskyy has repeatedly called on European leaders to agree on a single representative or negotiating team, saying that a lack of unity among European countries has made it more difficult to advance the continent’s interests in the ongoing diplomatic process.
Who Will Speak for the European Union Itself?
Although leaders agreed on a broader representation, not all personnel matters have been settled. It is still not clear who exactly will represent the European Union institutions.
Names discussed in recent days include European Council President António Costa and the EU’s top diplomat, Kaja Kallas.
Costa has a direct mandate from EU member state leaders as European Council president. Kallas is serving as the Union’s High Representative for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy.
Some countries favored a larger team to represent Europe, giving individual states a significant role. This approach ultimately shaped the agreement reached in Dublin.
Russia Yet to Decide on European Participation
After talks with Russian President Vladimir Putin, American envoy Steve Witkoff said that Europe should be included in the next round of diplomatic discussions. However, Moscow has indicated that a final decision on expanding the negotiation format has not yet been made.
Kremlin spokesperson Dmitry Peskov stated that Russia is ready to talk with European representatives if they have a genuine mandate and are interested in contributing to the peace process. He also suggested Moscow wants to learn more about their specific intentions first.
Therefore, the agreement reached in Dublin marks an important step for European representation, but does not guarantee Russia’s acceptance of the new negotiation format.
The key question going forward is whether the diplomatic team will be able to participate directly in the negotiations, and what mandate European countries will ultimately provide. For now, it is clear that Europe wants to act in a coordinated manner when it comes to decisions about Ukraine’s future.
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This article was translated from the original Slovak version with the assistance of AI.
