EU wants to participate in Ukraine talks: special envoy discussed
27 February 21:54
European leaders will discuss the appointment of a special representative to defend the EU’s interests in possible negotiations to end the war in Ukraine at a joint meeting next week. Bloomberg reports this, citing its own sources, Komersant ukrainskyi.
The media outlet writes that several European leaders demanded the creation of such a position after U.S. representatives held direct talks with Russia, effectively leaving the European Union out of the picture.
This refers to a meeting in mid-February in Saudi Arabia, where the first round of talks on the war in Ukraine took place, attended by senior US and Russian officials, but neither Ukraine nor Europe was at the table.
In turn, Ukraine is also calling on Europe to appoint a representative for potential peace talks with the United States and Russia as soon as possible.
According to sources cited by Bloomberg, a candidate for the post of special representative of the European bloc’s interests in the negotiations may be selected at a special summit of EU leaders to be held on March 6. In addition, as part of this event, European leaders will also discuss the bloc’s expectations of what peace in Ukraine will look like and what security guarantees they can offer in the context of the negotiations.
It is also expected that at the summit, the European Commission (the EU’s executive body – ed.) will unveil a plan to inject hundreds of billions of euros into the defense industry.
What preceded it
Earlier, US Special Representative for Ukraine and Russia Keith Kellogg said that Europe would not be directly involved in future peace talks.
In response, Finnish President Alexander Stubb emphasized the need to appoint a European special representative to ensure the EU’s presence at the negotiating table and protect Europe’s interests in the process of resolving the conflict between Russia and Ukraine.
President of Ukraine Volodymyr Zelenskyy, in turn, also supported the idea of appointing a European representative in the negotiations, emphasizing that Europe should be heard and actively participate in the discussion of security guarantees for Ukraine. He noted that such a representative should be at the level of the head of state and have authority both in Europe and in the international arena.
Currently, political science experts say that the appointment of a special representative can help coordinate the efforts of European countries and increase their influence on the course of negotiations, ensuring that Ukraine’s interests are taken into account and stability in the region.
