EU leaders expand Ukraine peace talks team to include Italy and Poland

European Union leaders agreed on Friday to form a joint team for Ukraine peace talks, comprising France, Germany, Italy, Poland, the UK, EU institutions, and NATO, while declining to appoint a single special envoy. The decision, made at an informal summit in Dublin, expands the existing E3 negotiating group by adding Italy and Poland. EU foreign policy chief Kaja Kallas, who had publicly sought the envoy role, was left without it, with leaders citing treaty provisions on representation. The format formalizes the US-brokered negotiating structure, which has included recent rounds in Miami, Oslo, Brussels, and Abu Dhabi. The key remaining question is whether Russia will agree to direct talks with European representatives, though US envoys reported Moscow's willingness after a Thursday visit.