The European Union has agreed on a delegation for the expert negotiations on Ukraine. It will include representatives of EU institutions and countries from the so-called coalition of the willing, European Council President António Costa said.
“The leaders agreed on our delegation for the negotiations on Ukraine. These are the EU institutions and countries from the coalition of the willing,” Costa said at the closing press conference following the informal meeting of EU leaders in Dublin.
He added that the leaders of the European Union “support the negotiations.” Costa did not name any specific representatives, nor did he clarify when the delegation would begin work in this format.
Europe insists on having a seat at the table
The decision comes amid mounting pressure for Europe to participate directly in talks on ending the war in Ukraine. Until now, the main format has involved Russia, Ukraine and the United States, while European countries have insisted they should not be excluded from a process that directly affects the security of the continent.
US special envoys Jared Kushner and Steve Witkoff said European representatives would be included in the next round of negotiations. Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky also said that no agreement could be reached between Moscow and Kyiv without Europe’s participation.
The Associated Press reported earlier that EU leaders were discussing whether Europe should be represented by a single envoy or by a team. Before the meeting in Dublin, no consensus had yet been reached on the specific model or the names of the representatives.
The delegation’s composition remains unspecified
According to Costa, the delegation’s composition has been agreed in principle, but the countries and institutions that will send representatives have not been publicly announced. This leaves open the question of whether the negotiating team will include only EU representatives or also leading countries from the coalition of the willing outside the bloc.
The coalition includes European countries and partners that support Ukraine, provide military and political assistance, and discuss security guarantees for the country in the event of a possible peace agreement.
Europe’s participation in the negotiations has still not been finally confirmed by Moscow. According to Le Monde, Russia has not officially agreed to the presence of a European delegation, despite statements from Washington and Kyiv.
The next step is to clarify the mandate, composition and format of the European delegation. European leaders insist that the negotiations should first lead to a ceasefire, followed by a lasting peace agreement and security guarantees for Ukraine.
Sources: apnews.com, euronews.com, lemonde.fr