Lithuanian President backs EU Council chief as Europe's Russia negotiator

Lithuanian President Gitanas Nauseda stated that European Council President Antonio Costa has the mandate to represent Europe in negotiations to end the Russian-Ukrainian war, speaking before the European Political Community summit in Dublin. Nauseda acknowledged differing approaches among EU leaders and suggested Friday's summit offers a chance to discuss more complex representation formulas. He warned that constantly changing European representatives would not lead to better outcomes with Russia, urging a clear and acceptable formula be found quickly. Estonia supports Costa and EU diplomacy chief Kaja Kallas as representatives, while EU leaders remain divided on the issue. Irish Prime Minister Micheál Martin believes Europe does not necessarily need a single representative for potential talks with Russia.