Britain, France and Germany could represent Europe at peace talks

The Financial Times writes about this.

As the publication notes, concerns in Europe have increased ahead of talks between Ukraine, the United States and Russia, which are due to take place in Abu Dhabi. European governments fear that Washington and Moscow could make decisions that would have serious consequences for the continent’s security without the participation of European allies.

In particular, it concerns possible agreements on security guarantees for Russia, which may include restrictions for NATO.

These concerns prompted Norwegian Prime Minister Jonas Gaar Støre and Finnish President Alexander Stubb to hold a telephone conversation with Vladimir Putin. However, they did not agree this initiative in advance with other EU countries, which caused discontent among some European allies.

Støre explained that the purpose of the conversation was to convey Europe’s position to the Russian leader, as he doubts that American representatives fully convey it during contacts with the Kremlin.

“I don’t think [Putin] will change his mind, but he has heard our position very clearly. I am concerned that some of these messages are not getting through to him when the Americans are talking to him,” the Norwegian prime minister said.

But such independent attempts to reach out to Moscow have only exacerbated divisions within Europe, with diplomats and government officials saying the continent is still undecided on how best to represent its interests in dealing with Putin and US President Donald Trump.

At the same time, Europe has significant leverage over potential peace agreements. These include the possibility of lifting sanctions, freezing Russian assets worth more than 200 billion euros, and the prospect of Ukraine joining the European Union. However, European governments have so far failed to translate these opportunities into real diplomatic influence.

Although Washington and Kyiv increasingly recognize the importance of Europe’s participation in a future agreement, most European governments currently remain outside the negotiation process.

One senior European diplomat stressed that the continent’s countries must first secure a seat at the negotiating table before identifying a joint representative. According to him, Putin is interested in direct talks with Trump in order to later hold Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy accountable for the decisions made.

The Kremlin itself also opposes involving European Union representatives in trilateral negotiations.

Russian presidential spokesman Dmitry Peskov said that such meetings do not involve the EU. He added that Moscow does not need European representatives at the negotiating table, and the American side, which is trying to achieve peace, allegedly does not need them either.

At the same time, on October 29, Putin stated that Russia supports the restoration of full-fledged relations with European countries. According to him, Moscow is positive about contacts with those representatives of Europe who do not seek to inflict a strategic defeat on it, but advocate constructive dialogue.

Which countries can represent Europe in the negotiations?

According to four European diplomats, the US and Ukraine are considering the E3 format — Great Britain, France, and Germany — as the most likely option for representing Europe in peace talks.

But the prospect has raised concerns in other European states, with diplomats warning that giving the three largest European countries the power to represent the entire continent could alienate smaller EU members.

One of the publication’s interlocutors said that Trump’s special representative Steve Witkoff and the US president’s son-in-law Jared Kushner discussed with Ukrainian officials the use of E3 as the main mechanism of European representation during a visit to Kyiv last month.

At the same time, there is still no final agreement on this format in Europe.

According to one diplomat, at the initial stage, the countries will try to adhere to the E3 format. However, if the talks move on to discussing Ukraine’s relations with the EU or the possible lifting of sanctions against Russia, European institutions must definitely join the process.

Why did Europe become divided?

Attempts by Norway and Finland to independently establish contact with Putin were criticized, in particular, by representatives of Denmark, Italy, and Lithuania.

Lithuanian Foreign Minister Kęstutis Budris stressed that any contacts with Russia should be based on a coordinated European position, specific demands, and real levers of influence.

He noted that individual conversations with Putin without a clear plan have repeatedly demonstrated their ineffectiveness.

Some representatives of the European Union also hold a similar opinion. One senior EU diplomat called attempts to convince the Russian president to change his position a waste of time.

Støre, in response to criticism, stated that Norway and Finland did not turn to other EU countries for support because they knew in advance about the different views within the association.

Germany, for its part, has tried to defuse the situation. One German official noted that Norway and Finland had expressed their own position, informed their allies about it before and after the conversation, and raised issues that were already important for the negotiation process.

At the same time, Norbert Röttgen, a representative of German Chancellor Friedrich Merz’s Christian Democratic Union, criticized such an initiative. In his opinion, independent telephone contacts with Putin create the false impression that the Russian leader is interested in serious negotiations.

He also believes that this conversation weakened Europe’s position, without providing any real prospects for reaching agreements.

Alexander Gabuyev, director of the Carnegie Berlin Center for the Study of Russia and Eurasia, suggested that Moscow is trying to involve European countries in the political process only formally, preventing them from making direct decisions. In his assessment, the Kremlin is thus seeking to create conditions under which Trump will be able to exert greater pressure on Europe, seeking support for his policy towards Russia.

Gabuyev also believes that Moscow is unlikely to be ready for serious talks to end the war by the end of this winter. According to him, Russia is counting on weakening Ukraine through air strikes.

According to the expert, Europe should be prepared for the fact that the opportunity for productive negotiations will arise at a time when Ukraine’s positions are weaker. He noted that previously European countries have already missed opportunities to take advantage of periods when Ukraine had a stronger position and more opportunities to influence the terms of potential agreements.

Earlier it was reported that US President Donald Trump said that he expects to meet with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky and Kremlin leader Vladimir Putin in the near future. According to him, there is significant progress in relations between Washington and Moscow regarding the war in Ukraine.

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