Europe struggles to pick envoy for Ukraine peace talks

Europe will join the next round of trilateral peace talks between the US, Russia, and Ukraine, according to US Special Envoy Steve Witkoff, following his meeting with Russian President Vladimir Putin. The Kremlin signaled conditional openness to European participation. The expansion was announced after Witkoff's talks with Putin, with Witkoff stating Europeans are "important partners" whose involvement is crucial. Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov said Moscow is ready to talk if Europeans have a genuine desire and an authorized representative, though final agreement depends on understanding their intentions. European leaders remain divided over who should represent them, with discussions ongoing at an EU summit in Dublin. Candidates include European Council President Antonio Costa, foreign affairs chief Kaja Kallas, or a non-EU institutional figure, as France and Germany prefer national-level involvement.