Europe cannot choose a negotiator with Russia: EU leaders split into three camps

Against the backdrop of statements from the United States and Ukraine about involving Europe in negotiations with Russia, European leaders continue to argue over who will represent them at the negotiating table.

This is reported by Politico.

According to the publication, disputes over the candidate for negotiator are “overshadowing” the summit of European Union leaders in Dublin, which was originally not even planned to be dedicated to Ukraine. Estonian Prime Minister Kristen Michal joked that “you could even make a TV show about it.”

The European bloc has split into at least three camps. The first supports the candidacy of European Council President Antonio Costa as the negotiator with Russia.

The second camp consists of France and Germany, who do not want to cede their seats at the negotiating table to Brussels.

The third, “the loneliest camp of all,” advocates for EU foreign policy chief Kaja Kallas. However, her tough stance on Russia could alienate the Kremlin and make her candidacy a burden, the publication notes.

German Chancellor Friedrich Merz effectively spoke out against appointing a single negotiator. He stated that a “proven format” already exists involving Germany, France, and the United Kingdom. Furthermore, according to him, representatives from five countries are working together on the Ukrainian issue: Germany, France, the United Kingdom, Italy, and Poland. Merz sees no need to change this format.

Paris is also not interested in transferring its powers to Brussels, given its own diplomatic and military weight. The day before, French President Emmanuel Macron directly proposed his own candidacy as a negotiator.

Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni is actively promoting the idea of appointing a single European representative who would speak with a “single authoritative voice.” She demanded a decision by Friday at the summit in Dublin. It is planned to officially formalize it in December, coordinating the candidate with European partners outside the EU, in particular the United Kingdom and Norway, AP reports.

“Too many different groups are discussing this issue,” Meloni said.

She was referring, in particular, to a recent phone call between Finnish President Alexander Stubb and Norwegian Prime Minister Jonas Gahr Støre with Russian President Vladimir Putin. At the same time, Stubb, according to Politico, is also among the possible candidates for the role of Europe’s representative.

Irish Prime Minister Micheál Martin also stated that Europe must have a unified position at the negotiating table. At the same time, he advocated for the participation not only of EU countries but also of the United Kingdom, Norway, Canada, and other states.

It is worth noting that involving Europeans in negotiations on Ukraine has become the main outcome so far of the meetings in Abu Dhabi. In their official statements, European leaders have already effectively agreed to participate in the negotiation process.