European nations are seeking an envoy to represent them in talks on ending the Russia-Ukraine war, concerned that a U.S.-backed process will leave them sidelined as Moscow and Washington decide the fate of a conflict that has roiled the continent. Whether that should be one individual or several, and who it might be, is being debated as leaders from the 27-nation European Union meet Friday at a summit in Dublin. Senior EU officials and politicians have been suggested, but there is not yet a consensus, and the job's scope remains unclear and contested.

There is broad agreement among governments from the U.K. to Ukraine that Europe must join the ongoing negotiations involving Moscow, Kyiv and Washington. Ukraine is eager for backup from its European allies, being reluctant to leave the talks solely in the hands of a U.S. administration that has often seemed to lean toward Moscow's views. Russia, however, does not want European countries involved in direct negotiations, complaining that they are financing and supplying Ukraine's military effort. The Europeans, for their part, do not trust U.S. President Donald Trump to negotiate on their behalf after a series of tense standoffs over trade, Greenland and conflicts in Iran and Ukraine.S1S2

French President Emmanuel Macron said at the European Political Community meeting in Dublin on Thursday that "without Europeans, there is no support for Ukraine" and that "there is no more U.S. support." "At the end of the day, we will be the ones to define and decide for our future security as Europeans," he said. European leaders fear Russian President Vladimir Putin will press Trump to back a peace settlement that weakens not only Ukraine but broader European security. Putin has demanded that NATO troops be pulled back from Russia's borders and that no European forces be deployed in Ukraine.S1S2

British Prime Minister Andy Burnham rejected the idea that Europe was being sidelined, saying "there are European voices in the room." He said leaders he had spoken to were determined to put "a bit of a ring of steel" around Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy to back him fully. As envoys from Washington, Moscow and Kyiv met in Abu Dhabi, several European countries, including the U.K., France and Germany, attended discussions nearby.S1S2

Supporters of a single envoy, such as Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni, argue that Europe's absence has let individual countries or small groups engage in freelance diplomacy. "There are too many different groupings discussing the issue," she said. Meloni has criticized a series of seemingly uncoordinated initiatives, including a call to Putin by Finnish President Alexander Stubb and Norwegian Prime Minister Jonas Gahr Støre, which she said could undermine European efforts.S1S2