Europe Names Its Ukraine Peace Team: Five Countries and the EU, Chosen in Dublin

European leaders ended a day in Dublin on Friday with an answer to a question that has dogged them for weeks: who speaks for Europe if Ukraine peace talks widen beyond Washington, Moscow and Kyiv? European Council President Antonio Costa announced that EU institutions and five countries will represent the continent together. Whether Russia will accept them is another matter.

Costa spoke at a press conference after an informal meeting of EU leaders, as reported by the Kyiv Independent. The five are France, Germany, Italy, Poland and the United Kingdom, the group known as the E5 within the Coalition of the Willing that is working on security guarantees for Ukraine.

Who is on Europe's Ukraine negotiating team?

The line-up pairs the EU institutions with the E5 governments. According to the Kyiv Post, which said Bloomberg reported it first, national security advisers from the EU and the five countries would do the work, and the team would take part only at the technical level for now. No political leaders have been named to front it.

The shape matters because Poland and Italy sit alongside the older France, Germany and Britain grouping. Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni had argued that too many different groupings were discussing the issue, Al Jazeera reported, and backed a single envoy.

Why does Europe want a seat at the table?

Governments fear that US-backed talks could sideline them and leave Kyiv exposed. Al Jazeera said German Chancellor Friedrich Merz told colleagues that some in Dublin feared a "second Anchorage moment", a reference to last year's Alaska summit, and asked Washington for no surprises. Costa said only Ukraine has the legitimacy to decide on its territory and sovereignty.