Amid preparations for peace talks on Ukraine, Brussels and Kyiv have sharply outlined their stance on Europe's role in future discussions with Russia. EU High Representative for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy Kaja Kallas issued a call for caution ahead of the EU heads of state and government meeting held on Friday, November 13, in Dublin. According to her, the European side must be prepared not only to be present at the negotiating process, but also to genuinely influence its outcome, rather than limiting itself to formal participation.
"Not Just Sitting at the Negotiating Table"
Kaja Kallas emphasized that Europe's direct participation in future negotiations to end Russia's war against Ukraine requires a balanced approach. "I hope that we will not just sit at the negotiating table, but also influence the decisions made," the head of European diplomacy stated ahead of the Dublin summit. This thesis reflects Brussels' desire to avoid a scenario where key decisions about Ukraine's future and regional security are made without taking into account the position of European capitals.
Security Architecture — Not Before a Ceasefire
Kallas paid special attention to the sequence in which negotiation topics should be discussed. According to her, Europe must not agree to discuss European security architecture at the first stage, before an agreement on a ceasefire is reached. "If Europeans yield to such demands from the Russian Federation, they will effectively fall into the traps set by Russia," the head of European diplomacy is convinced. Thus, Brussels insists that the issue of security guarantees and the new regional architecture should be considered only after the ceasefire regime is fixed.
Brussels and Kyiv: Europe Will Be at the Table
European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen expressed full confidence in Dublin that "Europe will be involved in peace talks," adding that during these discussions the continent will "defend its own interests and support Ukraine." Simultaneously, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy, following a meeting with US President Donald Trump's special envoys Jared Kushner and Steven Witkoff near Dublin, confirmed that Europe will be represented at future negotiations with Russia. According to him, the American side at the meeting with Vladimir Putin "managed to achieve progress regarding the Europeans," and at the next meeting European representatives will become part of the negotiating team and "will have a voice." Russia's readiness to involve Europeans in the talks, as Zelenskyy stated, was also confirmed by Kushner.
Moscow Sets Conditions for Expanding the Format
The Kremlin reacted with reservations to the possible expansion of the negotiating format. Russian presidential press secretary Dmitry Peskov told reporters that Russia will be able to make a decision on connecting new parties to the negotiations only when it understands "their real intentions and readiness to contribute to the peace process." At the same time, he emphasized that Vladimir Putin "was never the initiator of curtailing relations with Europeans." Thus, Moscow reserves the right to determine the timing and conditions for including European representatives in the negotiating process.
Context: From the Periphery of Abu Dhabi to the Center of Dublin
European countries' insistence on being included in the negotiating process is driven by their previous experience: during the negotiations between Russia and Ukraine held in Abu Dhabi with US mediation, European representatives were present only on the periphery of the meetings. The current dynamics recorded in Dublin indicate that Brussels and Kyiv strive to transform European participation from observational to full-fledged, while Moscow emphasizes that the decision on the format will be made after assessing the intentions of the European parties. As a result, the key issue of the coming weeks is not the fact of negotiations itself, but the question of what weight Europe's voice will have at the table and in what sequence the ceasefire and security architecture will be discussed.
