Key facts
- Estonian Prime Minister Kristen Michal said Costa and Kallas hold a mandate directly from the Council, so no ad hoc plan is needed.
- A senior EU official, granted anonymity, said the Dublin summit is not expected to formally select an envoy.
- Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni asked Costa to prioritize the question, saying Europe's approach had been inconsistent.
- Danish Prime Minister Mette Frederiksen said she was skeptical of the three-way talks and that Europe should stay united.
- French MEP Fabrice Leggeri of Le Pen's RN party said Costa and Kallas could not speak for France.
- Costa's head of Cabinet Pedro Lourtie contacted officials in Moscow twice in June to establish a channel, POLITICO reported.
Estonia called for European Council President António Costa and EU foreign policy chief Kaja Kallas to represent Europe in Russia-Ukraine negotiations, as leaders disagree over who should have a seat at the table. Estonian Prime Minister Kristen Michal told POLITICO that Europe had already chosen its representatives and that both are accountable to EU countries.
The matter is set to come up at an informal European Council summit in Dublin on Friday, at the request of Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni. In a letter to Costa, Meloni said Europe's approach had been inconsistent and risked prolonging the war, and Costa agreed to prioritize the topic at the talks in Ireland.
Michal said the mandate for Costa and Kallas comes directly from the Council, so there is no need for an ad hoc plan agreed between member states first. A senior EU official, granted anonymity to discuss the plan, said the Dublin summit is not expected to produce a formal decision selecting an envoy, but rather an understanding among leaders about who should relay Europe's position to the Kremlin, with the choice made later.
The question has taken on urgency as US-led efforts to broker an end to the war gather pace. Three-way talks in Abu Dhabi in the week of November 9 involved representatives from Russia, the US and Ukraine, with the EU represented by senior civil servants in a separate, wider meeting. The leaders of Finland and Norway held a 90-minute phone call with Russian President Vladimir Putin in October 2026.