European countries have agreed to send a group of national security advisers to participate in the next round of negotiations on ending Russia's war against Ukraine. The European delegation will include representatives from five states, the European Union and NATO.
This was reported by Bloomberg on November 13. The agreement was reached at a meeting of EU leaders in Dublin.
Following the summit, President of the European Council António Costa stated that the European side at the upcoming talks would be represented by the United Kingdom, France, Germany, Italy and Poland together with the institutions of the European Union.
The European negotiating group is planned to include seven representatives — from the five states, the EU and NATO. This format will allow combining the positions of leading European countries and the structures responsible for the security of the continent.
Earlier, European leaders discussed the possibility of appointing a single special representative for negotiations with Moscow. However, they failed to agree on a candidate. Among the possible contenders mentioned were Costa himself and the head of European diplomacy, Kaja Kallas.
Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni advocated for a single negotiator, warning that the participation of several independent delegations could weaken Europe's position. At the same time, a number of states insisted on broader representation, taking into account the interests of Eastern European countries and the United Kingdom.
As a result, European leaders decided to use a collective format instead of appointing a single representative.
As reported by Associated Press, the eventual participation of Europeans in direct negotiations with Russia still remains the subject of diplomatic coordination.
At the previous round of talks in Abu Dhabi on November 10–11, national security advisers from European states were already present at consultations but did not directly participate in the trilateral meetings between representatives of Ukraine, the United States and Russia.
The situation changed after negotiations between American representatives Steve Witkoff and Jared Kushner with Vladimir Putin in Moscow on November 12.
According to the American side, the Russian president agreed to consider the participation of European representatives in the next round. After a meeting with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy in Dublin, Kushner stated that reaching a peace agreement is impossible without European allies.
Zelenskyy also confirmed that Europeans should have direct representation at the negotiating table, not be limited to separate consultations with the American delegation.
However, the Kremlin has not yet confirmed its final consent to the participation of the European team. Russian presidential press secretary Dmitry Peskov stated that Moscow needs to understand who will represent Europe and with what position these representatives intend to participate in the negotiation process.
One of the main contentious issues remains Russia's proposal to revise the European security architecture. Moscow seeks to discuss restrictions on NATO expansion and the alliance's military presence in Eastern Europe.
European leaders oppose revisiting the existing security system until an agreement on ending the war in Ukraine is reached. They also insist that any agreements affecting the security of European states must be concluded with their direct participation.
The next round of negotiations between Ukraine, the United States and Russia is expected in the near future. Its exact date, venue and final composition of participants have not yet been officially announced.
