EU Expands Negotiating Team With Italy and Poland for Ukraine Peace Talks

OPA WIRE, Nov 13 (OPA) — European leaders meeting at an informal summit in Dublin decided on Friday to broaden the existing E3 diplomatic format into an 'E5' group, adding Italy and Poland alongside EU institutions and NATO. The move comes in response to calls from Ukraine, the United States, and Russia for a unified European representative in the ongoing negotiations. Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni had previously criticized the fragmentation of European voices in the peace process, while Warsaw cautioned against Western European capitals monopolizing decisions that affect the continent's eastern flank.

The agreement effectively bypasses EU foreign policy chief Kaja Kallas, who argued earlier Friday that representing the bloc on security and foreign policy falls squarely within her mandate. Kallas noted that Russian officials refuse to engage with her due to her hardline stances. However, European Council President António Costa dismissed her claims, citing EU treaties that delegate head-of-state level foreign policy representation to the Council president. European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen also declined to support Kallas, stating that the bloc's leaders collectively decide how 27 sovereign countries and EU institutions are represented externally.

Friday's accord formalizes a negotiating structure largely shaped by the United States, which is actively brokering the talks. Recent rounds of discussions have taken place in Miami, Oslo, Brussels, and Abu Dhabi, with Italy participating in the Abu Dhabi session and Poland slated to join the upcoming round. German Chancellor Friedrich Merz defended the inclusion of Berlin alongside traditional partners, stating that the E3 format remains highly effective and dismissing the need for a standalone institutional envoy.

Attention now turns to whether Moscow will engage directly with European delegates, as Russia has historically resisted sitting at the same table with EU representatives. US special envoys Steve Witkoff and Jared Kushner traveled to Moscow on Thursday to meet with Russian President Vladimir Putin. While US officials reported that Moscow signaled openness to face-to-face talks with Europeans, the Kremlin downplayed the prospect, leaving the diplomatic timeline uncertain.