The European Union will send senior representatives from both the European Commission and the European Council to peace talks between Ukraine, Russia and the United States scheduled to begin on Tuesday in Abu Dhabi, according to two EU officials.
European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen confirmed the EU’s participation in a post on X, stating that “the EU will be present alongside our partners.”
The EU delegation will include Bjoern Seibert, von der Leyen’s chief of staff, representing the European Commission, and Anna-Maria Boura, chief foreign policy adviser to European Council President António Costa, representing the Council.
National security advisers from France, Germany and the United Kingdom are also expected to attend, according to a German official and two EU diplomats.
However, it remains unclear whether European representatives will participate directly in the negotiations. A German official told POLITICO that the format would be determined as discussions progress, while an EU official said the European representatives would not be inside the negotiating room.
The question of how Europe should be represented in the talks has caused disagreements among EU leaders.
Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni wrote to Costa last week expressing criticism over changes to the format of negotiations with Russia. Her position received support from Polish Foreign Minister Radosław Sikorski, who backed broader European involvement, including representatives of EU institutions.
The EU’s decision to send senior officials signals an effort to ensure that European institutions remain involved in discussions over the future of Ukraine, although the precise role of the European delegation has yet to be established.
