Italy’s Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni has urged the European Union to clearly determine who will represent the bloc in talks on ending the war in Ukraine, and with what mandate.
She wrote this in a letter to the President of the European Council, António Costa, Delfi reports, citing dpa and AFP.
Meloni criticised the “uncoordinated behaviour” of EU leaders. In her view, such actions will benefit neither relations with allies nor dealings with Russia. She stressed that the image of a disorderly Europe plays into the hands only of those who want to prolong this war.
The head of the Italian government proposed discussing the issue of representation during an informal European Council meeting in Dublin, to be held on 13 November. This would make it possible to formally adopt the relevant decision at the summit in Brussels on 17–18 December.
Meloni has previously criticised individual initiatives by European leaders that dilute the bloc’s unified position on Russia’s war against Ukraine. In particular, Rome reacted negatively to a phone call between Finland’s President Alexander Stubb, Norway’s Prime Minister Jonas Gahr Støre and Russian President Vladimir Putin.
- Ukraine also insists that Europe should be involved in the talks in the UAE.
- Earlier, US President’s special envoy Steven Witkoff announced that working-group talks between Ukraine and Russia would be held on 10–11 November, mediated by the United States in Abu Dhabi.
- EU foreign policy chief Kaja Kallas has stressed that the EU must be part of any peace deal on Ukraine, as the bloc is indispensable on issues of security guarantees, post-war reconstruction and sanctions.