Europe seeks role in Ukraine talks as Moscow holds back

Detailed summary

European Union leaders agreed on a joint team for Ukraine peace talks on Nov. 13, but Russia said it had not yet agreed to European participation in the U.S.-mediated negotiations.

TOPSHOT - Canada's Prime Minister Mark Carney (L) and France's President Emmanuel Macron (2L) gesture as Ukraine's President Volodymyr Zelensky (C) and Britain's Prime Minister Andy Burnham arrive to take their seats alongside European Council President Antonio Costa and European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen during a summit on Ukraine at the ninth meeting of the European Political Community (EPC), in Dublin on Nov. 12, 2026. (Photo by Thomas SAMSON / AFP)

European Union leaders agreed on a joint team for Ukraine peace talks on Nov. 13, but Russia said it had not yet agreed to European participation in the U.S.-mediated negotiations.

The team will comprise EU institutions and representatives of Britain, France, Germany, Italy and Poland, European Council President António Costa said after an informal summit in Dublin.

“Europe must speak with one clear and united voice,” Costa said, adding that the team would work in close coordination with all member states.

The decision followed a debate over whether Europe should appoint a single envoy, with Costa and EU foreign policy chief Kaja Kallas among the names discussed.

Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni had raised the issue in a letter to Costa, warning that overlapping diplomatic initiatives and competing negotiating formats were undermining Europe’s credibility.

Kallas argued that her appointment in 2024 gave her a mandate to represent the bloc on foreign and security policy. She said Russia should not determine who represented the European side.

“I know that the Russians do not want me, but do we have a say who is representing Russia? No, we do not,” she said.

Kallas also acknowledged the distinction between representing the EU and speaking for European partners such as Britain and Norway, which are outside the bloc.

Opening of the article, excerpted from Hürriyet Daily News. To read the rest, open the article on the publisher's site.