On a Friday in Dublin, at the close of a leaders' meeting, Europe chose its voice for a conversation that will shape the future of Ukraine and the continent around it. Five military powers and the institutions of the Union will sit together, bound by a shared wish to speak with one clear tone, though the table itself is not yet fully set. Moscow has not decided whether it will welcome them, and so the old question of who gets to sit where, and who is trusted to speak for whom, remains open. In the longer story of a continent that has learned hard lessons about its own security, this is a momen
EU Names Five Major Powers Plus EU Institutions as Europe's Team for Ukraine Peace Talks
Europe must speak with one clear and united voice
Mark
So what did EU leaders actually decide in Dublin?
Mimi
They settled who speaks for Europe: Britain, France, Germany, Italy and Poland, plus EU institutions. Costa said Europe needs one clear, united voice.
Mark
Why include Britain, which isn't in the EU?
Mimi
Because it's one of the five major military powers, and security guarantees are meant to be handled through the Coalition of the Willing, coordinated with NATO, not through the EU alone.
Mark
Who would physically be in the room?
Mimi
Officials say likely national security advisers from the five, plus delegates from the Commission and the European Council. NATO is also expected to be represented.
Luke
Worth stressing that's "likely" and "expected." The names of individuals haven't been given, and it's attributed to unnamed EU officials.
Mark
And Russia? Has it agreed to this?
Mimi
Not clearly. Peskov said Europe must first show genuine readiness to contribute before a decision on an expanded format.
Luke
And that conflicts with the US account. American negotiators said Thursday that Putin had agreed to European participation. We have both statements, but nothing here that reconciles them.
Mark
Europeans were in Abu Dhabi this week, though.
Mimi
Yes, representatives from Britain, France, Germany, Italy and the EU attended, and both Moscow and Kyiv cited some progress.
Luke
Some progress, with no sign of a breakthrough on territory. The report doesn't say what the progress was, so I wouldn't read much into it.
O Pulso
- EU leaders have named a Europe-only negotiating team of Britain, France, Germany, Italy, Poland and EU institutions, moving quickly to claim a seat in the talks.
- The Kremlin has pushed back, insisting Europeans must first prove they are genuinely ready to contribute before any invitation is considered.
- US negotiators said Putin had already agreed to European participation, leaving the claims of Washington and Moscow sharply at odds.
- Costa has split the work in two, placing Ukraine's European future and reconstruction under the EU while security guarantees move through the Coalition of the Willing and NATO.
- Europeans already sat in Abu Dhabi talks, where both sides reported some progress but no breakthrough on territory, so the next round will test whether Moscow opens the door.
On a Friday in Dublin, at the close of a leaders' meeting, Europe chose its voice for a conversation that will shape the future of Ukraine and the continent around it. Five military powers and the institutions of the Union will sit together, bound by a shared wish to speak with one clear tone, though the table itself is not yet fully set. Moscow has not decided whether it will welcome them, and so the old question of who gets to sit where, and who is trusted to speak for whom, remains open. In the longer story of a continent that has learned hard lessons about its own security, this is a moment of gathering and of waiting at once.
At the close of a leaders' meeting in Dublin on Friday, European Council President Antonio Costa stepped before the press to say who will speak for Europe when talks over Ukraine's future resume. The team agreed by EU leaders brings together France, Germany, Italy, Poland and Britain, which is not an EU member, along with the European Commission and the European Council. Costa called it a matter of unity, a team effort in which Europe must speak with one clear voice on the future of Ukraine and the continent's security.
He also separated the work into two tracks. The EU would lead on Ukraine's European future, its reconstruction and prosperity, while security guarantees would be shaped within the Coalition of the Willing in close coordination with NATO. National security advisers from the five powers are likely to sit at the table, with EU delegates and NATO expected to take part as well.
Whether Europe will actually get a seat remains uncertain. The Kremlin said Europeans must first show real readiness to contribute to the peace process, and spokesman Dmitry Peskov suggested that only then could an expanded format be considered. That stands in contrast to US negotiators, who said a day earlier that Putin had agreed to European participation.
Europeans have already been present in the process, having attended Russia-Ukraine talks in Abu Dhabi this week, where both sides noted some progress though no breakthrough on territory. What comes next depends on whether Moscow admits the European team to the following round, and on how security guarantees are coordinated between the Coalition of the Willing and NATO.
At the end of a leaders' meeting in Dublin on Friday, European Council President Antonio Costa stood before a press conference and announced who will speak for Europe when talks over Ukraine's future resume. The team, agreed by EU leaders, will consist of five major military powers and the EU's own institutions. The five are France, Germany, Italy, Poland and Britain, which is not an EU member.
Costa, who chairs EU summits, framed the decision as a matter of unity. Europe, he said, must speak with one clear and united voice in every discussion that shapes Ukraine's future and the security of the continent, and he called it ultimately a team effort.
He also drew a line between two tracks of work. The EU, he said, has a central role in discussing Ukraine's European future, its reconstruction and its prosperity. Security guarantees for Ukraine, by contrast, should be discussed within the framework of the Coalition of the Willing, in close coordination with NATO.
EU officials offered some detail on who would actually sit at the table. The representatives are likely to be national security advisers from the five military powers, joined by delegates from the European Commission and the European Council, the body that represents EU governments. NATO is also expected to be represented.
Whether Europe will get a seat at all is not settled. Earlier on Friday, the Kremlin said Europe must first show it is ready to contribute to the peace process before any decision is made on letting Europeans join the negotiations. Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov, asked whether talks would soon resume with Europeans added, said that once Moscow understands their genuine intention and readiness to contribute, it will be possible to decide on holding dialogue on a Ukrainian settlement in an expanded format.
That answer sits awkwardly beside what American negotiators said a day earlier. On Thursday, US negotiators said President Vladimir Putin had agreed to European participation. Peskov's remarks suggest Russia has not yet committed to including Europeans in the next round. Also on Thursday, US negotiator Jared Kushner, speaking in Moscow, said he had begun discussions with European partners on the continent's security architecture.
Europeans are not entirely new to the process. Representatives from Britain, France, Germany, Italy and the EU attended Russia-Ukraine talks in Abu Dhabi this week. Both Moscow and Kyiv cited some progress there, though there was no sign of a breakthrough on key issues such as territory.
What to watch now is whether Moscow admits the European team to the next round, and how security guarantees are coordinated between the Coalition of the Willing and NATO.
Citações Notáveis
Europe must speak with one clear and united voice in all discussions that shape the future of Ukraine and the security of our continent.— Antonio Costa, European Council President
Once Moscow understands Europeans' genuine intention and readiness to contribute, a decision on an expanded format can be made.— Dmitry Peskov, Kremlin spokesman (paraphrased)
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