Zelensky calls on Europe to choose a single representative for negotiations with Russia

Vladimir Zelensky said that Europe needs to decide by the end of November on a single representative for peace negotiations with Russia and the United States.

This was reported by the Anadolu agency, citing the Danish radio and television company DR.

According to Zelensky, “40 people cannot talk” with Russian President Vladimir Putin. The Ukrainian leader spoke in Copenhagen on the same day that Kyiv and Moscow negotiations began in Abu Dhabi with U.S. mediation, AFP reported.

“Europe must decide who will represent Europe. Now is the time to choose who will speak on its behalf,” Zelensky said during a joint appearance with Danish Prime Minister Mette Frederiksen at the University of Copenhagen, according to Anadolu.

According to Zelensky, speaking to journalists, he hopes the issue will be resolved “no later than the end of November,” ideally at a meeting of the “coalition of the willing” in Germany on November 19, Politico Europe writes. As reported by the Office of the President of Ukraine, German Chancellor Friedrich Merz stated that the Berlin meeting will focus on coordinating aid and confirming that coalition members are ready to provide Ukraine with security guarantees after a ceasefire.

Zelensky noted that the envoy should receive a mandate from the entire coalition, including countries outside the EU, such as Britain and Norway. He also said that Kyiv wants to participate in the selection, rather than simply being informed of a ready-made decision — an approach he called “not very good,” Politico reports. Zelensky did not name specific individuals but emphasized that Europe has many “strong” leaders both within the EU and beyond, according to the EFE agency.

Frederiksen said she would not take on the role of Europe’s representative in negotiations with Putin. According to her, this issue will be discussed at meetings on Tuesday and later at the summit of the European Political Community in Dublin, Anadolu reports. EU countries provide the bulk of external financing for Ukraine but disagree on who should speak on their behalf and whether it is worth talking to Putin at all. Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni recently called the EU’s role in the peace process “chaotic,” Politico notes. According to the same publication, U.S. officials want Europe to fully participate in the next round of negotiations — including to bring up broader European security arrangements that Russia has long insisted on.

Regarding the talks in Abu Dhabi, Zelensky said: “It’s difficult with the Russians,” adding that mainly humanitarian issues, such as prisoner exchanges, were discussed, Anadolu reports. As EFE notes, these are the first direct negotiations between Moscow and Kyiv in nearly nine months.

During his visit, Denmark announced a military aid package of 4.8 billion kroner (about 643 million euros) and an additional 150 million kroner for Ukraine’s energy sector, Euronews writes. Zelensky also met with the leaders of Denmark, Iceland, Norway, Sweden, and Finland. He summarized the common position as: “Europe must be at the negotiating table,” Mezha reports.