EU leaders have agreed on a European team for possible peace talks on Ukraine. It consists of five major military powers – non-EU member Britain, along with France, Germany, Italy and Poland – and the EU institutions. European Council President António Costa announced the decision. Europe must speak with a clear, united voice in any talks on Ukraine's future and the continent's security, he stressed.

Russia signalled that European states could take part in the talks provided they genuinely wanted to contribute to peace. At the same time, Russian officials demanded that a comprehensive agreement on Europe's security architecture be reached first, before the details of the war are discussed.

Chancellor Friedrich Merz dismissed this as the Kremlin's "old game". There was no need to discuss a European security architecture, he said, because one already exists. Politicians from Poland, the Baltic states and the Nordic countries also warned against discussing Europe's security architecture with the US or Russia, and demanded that Europeans be involved in all security-related decisions.

Key points:

• EU leaders have agreed that Europe's team for the Ukraine peace talks will consist of five major military powers – non-EU member Britain, along with France, Germany, Italy and Poland – and the EU institutions.
• Europe must speak with a clear and united voice in all talks that shape Ukraine's future and the security of our continent.
• Russia would be open to European countries taking part in Ukraine peace talks if it felt they genuinely wanted to contribute to peace.

Source: Cyprus Mail (English)