One Voice Gives Europe a Real Seat at Peace Talks

US special envoy Jared Kushner announced on Thursday that negotiating parties have agreed to expand upcoming Ukraine peace talks to include European partners, although Moscow has not yet confirmed European participation. The announcement puts pressure on EU capitals, which face a tight deadline to decide within two weeks who will represent the continent.

Larger member states naturally prefer direct national representation to safeguard specific foreign policy priorities. Yet fielding multiple national envoys risks creating fragmented positions that third parties can easily exploit.

Lithuanian Foreign Minister Kęstutis Budrys highlighted the pragmatic solution: if every nation cannot sit at the table, EU institutions should represent Europe collectively. Mandating a common institutional representative turns 27 individual capitals into a single diplomatic block backing 450 million citizens.

Security on the European continent directly affects European lives and economies. Europe can shape a durable settlement only if it acts through unified EU leadership rather than relying on external intermediaries.