EU and E5 Nations to Represent Europe in Ukraine Peace Talks

EU leaders agreed Friday that the European Union and the E5 nations—Germany, Britain, France, Italy, and Poland—will represent Europe in future Ukraine peace talks, according to EU Council President António Costa. The "European negotiation team for peace in Ukraine" will include EU institutions, specifically the Commission and the Council, said Commission President Ursula von der Leyen. Costa stressed Europe must speak with a unified voice in all discussions shaping Ukraine's future and continental security. Austrian Chancellor Christian Stocker called the progress a "good sign" but said a result remains "far away," citing Russia's demand to approve a European negotiator as a lack of genuine peace willingness. He dismissed talks on a new European security architecture, noting one already exists.