EU leaders agree on joint European representation in Ukraine peace talks

EU leaders agreed that the European Union and five major European countries—Germany, France, Britain, Italy, and Poland—will jointly represent Europe in peace talks to end the war in Ukraine. European Council President Antonio Costa announced the agreement after an informal EU summit in Dublin, stating that Europe's security begins with Ukraine's security and that the EU welcomes diplomatic efforts to bring Russia to the negotiating table. He emphasized that the European team will act in close coordination and full unity. The decision follows recent negotiations in Abu Dhabi between Ukraine, the US, and Russia, which resulted in a large prisoner exchange, and separate talks between Ukrainian and European representatives. US envoys also met with Russian and Ukrainian leaders this week, with preparations underway for the next round of talks.