EU weighs who should lead talks with Russia as Ireland calls for decision within weeks

Discussions about who will speak for the EU will be held during the informal meeting of EU heads of state and government in Dublin on Friday.

An eternal question, the prime minister notes.

It sounds simple, but it is difficult. Europe is the EU, but Europe is also bigger than the EU. That is why we often think that the E3 - that is, the UK, France and Germany - together with the EU institutions, such as the Council and the Commission, is the natural choice, says Kristersson on the way to the meeting.

But we have great respect for the fact that Italy and Poland are also large countries, so we are quite open to different options in this regard.

No decision now

A clear answer is not expected on Friday in any case. Different countries also have different views on the matter. Many see EU Council President António Costa as the natural EU representative. At the same time, he himself emphasizes that on some issues it is just as natural to have other representatives, for example from the “coalition of the willing” that has promised to provide security guarantees for Ukraine in the event of a possible peace.

The host of the meeting in Dublin, Irish Prime Minister Micheál Martin, nevertheless hopes that the leaders can agree on a way forward in the near future.

I hope that today's discussion provides clarity. I believe that it must be decided definitively within the next week or the week after, says Martin.

Not up to Moscow

EU foreign affairs chief Kaja Kallas - who has also been put forward as a possible EU representative in this context - says that in any case it is not up to Moscow to decide.

They don't want someone strong on the other side because they want to be able to push their maximum demands. It was as (former Soviet) Foreign Minister (Andrei) Gromyko said: Their tactics are clear, first you put forward demands and ultimatums, then you just wait, because there will always be people in the West who offer something that they haven't had before, says Kallas in Dublin.

Friday's summit also includes a serious discussion on how the EU should handle AI, with French AI innovator Arthur Mensch and Nobel laureate Geoffrey Hinton as specially invited guests.