Europe sends diplomat team to Ukraine talks as leaders seek a voice

Europe will send a team of diplomats from the European Union and five individual countries to the next round of Ukraine talks, a top E.U. official said Friday, aiming to secure a voice in U.S.-led negotiations to end the nearly five-year war. European Council President Antonio Costa said the team will include officials from the 27-nation E.U. bloc and the U.K., France, Germany, Italy and Poland. European leaders fear being sidelined and leaving Kyiv vulnerable, with concerns that a U.S.-backed process may lean toward Moscow's views. The decision follows this week's U.S.-brokered talks in Abu Dhabi, where European countries attended nearby but not the main discussions. U.S. envoy Jared Kushner said Europe must be at the table, while Russia has demanded a single European representative, a point of contention among leaders.