European leaders are under pressure to name a representative for Ukraine peace talks after US envoy Steve Witkoff told reporters that Europeans will be present at the next meetings. When asked by DW during the European Political Community summit in Dublin why Europe should get only one seat at the table while the US gets two, EU foreign policy chief Kaja Kallas responded with a wry, ironic laugh, a sign of the frustration among European leaders at being sidelined so far.

The summit of 47 European leaders followed a diplomatic tour by Donald Trump's son-in-law Jared Kushner and special envoy Steve Witkoff, who held talks in Abu Dhabi and then met Russian President Vladimir Putin in Moscow before travelling to Dublin to debrief Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy. Kallas and EU Council President Antonio Costa are tipped as the most likely EU representatives, but the bloc has not settled on a central figure, as many national leaders want to be present themselves.S1

German Chancellor Friedrich Merz insisted Europe will be present, saying Ukraine, the Europeans, the Americans and Russia must all be at the table, though he and other leaders downplayed the idea of appointing a special envoy. Zelenskyy pressed for European involvement, saying Europe was already involved and must become a regular part of negotiations. Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni wrote a sharply worded letter to Costa last week warning that projecting disunity served the interests of those who want the war to continue.S1

Leaders also appeared divided over their frustration. Slovenian Prime Minister Janez Janša said the situation created a bad mood, while Latvian Prime Minister Andris Kulbergs disputed that, saying he did not feel it. Underlying the debate is fear that the US could accept Russian demands that Europe change how it structures its security, mainly through NATO, in exchange for a seat at the table. Putin has reportedly raised a commitment that Ukraine will never join NATO and even the rolling back of the alliance to remove recent joiners Finland and Sweden.S1