UK, France and Germany may represent European countries in possible talks to end the war in Ukraine. Washington and Kiev are considering the three countries as the E3 format to participate on behalf of Europe, the “Financial Times“ reported, citing four European diplomats.
According to one of the diplomats, US President Donald Trump's special envoys - Steve Witkoff and Jared Kushner - reached an agreement on the issue with Ukrainian representatives during their visit to Kiev. However, there is no consensus within Europe itself whether E3 should be the only format for representation.
“For now, we will try to stick to the E3 format. At a certain stage, if there are to be truly serious negotiations - and there is still a long way to go - on Ukraine's relations with the EU and the lifting of sanctions, the European institutions must be involved. We must find a way to do this,“ states the diplomat, quoted by the “Financial Times“.
Fears of exclusion of smaller countries
The proposal for Britain, France and Germany to speak on behalf of Europe is causing concern among smaller European countries. They fear that solutions for the continent's security could be discussed without their direct participation.
According to the publication, European capitals are also concerned about the lack of direct participation of European institutions in diplomatic contacts between Washington, Kiev and Moscow. This has implications for topics such as a possible easing of sanctions against Russia, Ukraine's future relations with the European Union, and security guarantees.
Alexander Gabuev: Moscow can wait
The director of the Berlin-based Carnegie Russia-Eurasia Center, Alexander Gabuev, believes that Moscow is unlikely to show interest in serious negotiations to end the war before the end of winter. According to him, the Russian leadership is counting on the massive strikes on Ukrainian infrastructure and rear areas to weaken Kiev's negotiating positions.
Gabuyev warned that European countries should be ready for the possibility of negotiations even if Ukraine finds itself in a disadvantageous position.
„They have already missed several similar moments when Ukraine had strong positions and could dictate the terms“, the analyst points out.According to him, Russia would prefer European countries to be included in the political process, but without being given the opportunity to directly determine the terms of peace. Thus, in his assessment, Washington could exert stronger pressure on European allies to support Trump's approach to Moscow.
The discussion about European representation continues against the backdrop of differences between European capitals on the need for direct contacts with Russian President Vladimir Putin. At this point, there is no final public decision that would commit all European countries and institutions to the E3 format.
Sources: news.bg, english.nv.ua