Giorgia Meloni warns that Europe risks becoming irrelevant in the peace negotiations concerning Ukraine

Italy’s Prime Minister, Giorgia Meloni, on Thursday called on the European Union to appoint a single representative with a clear mandate for peace negotiations concerning Ukraine, warning that Europe risks becoming irrelevant if it does not coordinate its diplomatic initiatives.

In a letter addressed to European Council President Antonio Costa, Meloni argued that the existence of multiple negotiating formats undermines the EU’s credibility and creates the impression that the bloc is acting “in a random order.”

The Italian prime minister said she was not seeking a seat at the negotiating table either for herself or for Italy, but that Rome would not accept European commitments being negotiated without a mandate from the Union. Meloni called on European leaders to decide who will represent the EU and what powers that person will have.

The issue is expected to be discussed at the informal meeting of the European Council in Dublin, scheduled for next week. An official decision is expected at the December summit, following consultations with the United Kingdom, Norway and other European partners.

Meanwhile, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy spoke with U.S. envoys Steve Witkoff and Jared Kushner ahead of the next round of trilateral negotiations, scheduled for November 10 in Abu Dhabi. The discussion lasted approximately an hour and a half and focused on air defense, cooperation in the field of drones and security guarantees for the postwar period.