Europe has decided on a joint team for the peace talks led by France, Germany, the UK, Italy, Poland, the EU institutions and NATO. Despite mounting pressure, leaders declined to appoint a single envoy.
European Union leaders have agreed on a joint team to represent Europe in the ongoing negotiations to end Russia's war on Ukraine, comprising France, Germany, Italy, Poland and the United Kingdom.
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The UK is not an EU member but belongs to the E3 group.
The European Council, European Commission and NATO will also be represented.
The decision was taken on Friday at an informal summit in Dublin, Ireland, where the possibility of appointing a special envoy dominated discussions. Ukraine, the United States and even Russia had called on the EU to appoint a single representative.
Ahead of the meeting, Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni had criticised the "disarray" of voices in the peace process and called for a single European envoy.
Instead, EU leaders opted to expand the existing negotiating group, adding Italy and Poland. Warsaw had pointedly warned against Western European countries making decisions on behalf of the East.
"We are fully engaged in supporting the ongoing process, and we hope it will deliver concrete results," European Council President António Costa said.
"The leaders agreed that our European team for the negotiations on peace in Ukraine is the European Union institutions and the E5 of the Coalition of the Willing."
The decision leaves EU foreign policy chief Kaja Kallas without the special envoy role she had publicly sought, as the diplomatic process increasingly sidelines her.
On Friday morning, Kallas made a forceful case for taking on the role, arguing that representing the bloc on foreign policy was part of her mandate.
"In June 2024, there was a decision by the leaders (on) who is representing (the EU) when it comes to security and foreign policy. And it was the discussion that in these five years there is going to be a negotiation with the Russians," she said.
"If the leaders want to change that agreement, of course, they may, because it is the leaders' decision, but I think we should focus our energy actually on the substance."
Kallas acknowledged that "Russians do not want me" because of her "strong" views.
Asked about her remarks, Costa appeared to dismiss her claim, pointing to the EU treaties.
"The treaties are very clear. The president of the European Council represents the European Council and represents the Union when it comes to the common foreign and security policy at the level of head of state and head of government," he said.
"The president of the European Commission represents the Commission, and the Commission represents externally the Union in community issues."
However, the negotiations have yet to reach the level of heads of state and government, taking place so far among national security advisers and senior officials.
European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen also declined to back Kallas, despite her serving as a vice-president in the Commission.
"We decide on who represents us, and that's what we've done today, and how we are being represented to 27 sovereign countries plus the EU institutions," she said.
"We have taken our decision."
Friday's agreement largely formalises the negotiating format shaped by the United States, which is brokering the talks. The E3, EU institutions and NATO were represented at recent rounds of peace negotiations in Miami, Oslo, Brussels and Abu Dhabi.
Italy took part in the Abu Dhabi meeting. Poland is expected to join the next round.
"The E3 format has proven very effective. Incidentally, we always include Italy and Poland," German Chancellor Friedrich Merz said in Dublin, signalling that Berlin was not prepared to give up its seat in favour of a single envoy.
"In that regard, I don't see any need to have an institutional debate at the moment."
The key question now is whether Russia will agree to negotiate directly with European representatives, having repeatedly refused to sit at the same table as them.
US special envoys Steve Witkoff and Jared Kushner travelled to Moscow on Thursday to persuade Russian President Vladimir Putin to engage. After the meeting, both said Moscow had indicated it was willing to hold face-to-face talks with Europeans.
But the Kremlin played it down, casting uncertainty over whether such a meeting will take place.