Dublin summits: Europe to join Ukraine peace talks, envoy choice unresolved

Envoys bring Europe into the Ukraine talks

US envoys Steve Witkoff and Jared Kushner landed at Baldonnel Aerodrome in Dublin on the night of Thursday, 12 November, after meeting Vladimir Putin in Moscow. They briefed Volodymyr Zelensky there, then met senior officials from France, Germany, the UK, Italy and Poland, with Bjoern Seibert, the top adviser to European Commission president Ursula von der Leyen, also in the room. After an hour-long meeting, the three men confirmed that Europe would be invited to the next talks in Abu Dhabi, scheduled for the week of 16 November 2026. Zelensky, on his third visit to Ireland in 12 months, put the arrangement plainly:

“Europe will be [part of] the negotiation team, not sideways, not separately. They will have a voice.”

Kushner made the same point from the US side, arguing that the deal could not be concluded without Europe present.

“We cannot conclude this deal without the Europeans being at the table.”

Putin rejects a European military presence

After meeting the envoys, Putin placed the blame for the ongoing war on Europe and urged the Europeans to decide whether they wanted peace or war in Ukraine. He also rejected any European military presence in postwar Ukraine, which he called "foreign" troops and said would mean a continuation of the war. Zelensky said Elon Musk's Starlink satellite system had once again been downgraded, which he argued hindered Ukraine's defence against Russian ballistic missile and jet-powered drone attacks. Zelensky also attended a Friends of Ukraine meeting on the margins of the summit with UK prime minister Andy Burnham.

Who speaks for Europe remains undecided

Europe has not agreed on a single representative for the talks. Kaja Kallas, the EU's foreign policy chief, suggested herself for the role, while others floated Ursula von der Leyen, larger states such as Germany, France or Poland, and Giorgia Meloni, described as well placed with the Americans. Non-EU European states such as the UK raised the question of their own role. Martin said the decision should be taken soon.

“It needs to be, in my view, finally decided upon within the next week or two.”

Concern in the Baltic states and eastern Europe that Washington could abandon its Nato security guarantees is one reason the Europeans want a place at the table.

Summit outcomes and the budget

The informal European Council on 13 November was not bound to produce a communique, and the two summits were not intended to make decisions. Leaders reaffirmed their support for Ukraine and their wish to be represented at the negotiating table, but two questions stayed open: who represents Europe, and how the EU will raise at least €45 billion that Ukraine needs next year. Ireland put forward a compromise plan on the seven-year budget from 2028, which was criticised by all sides, and Martin described the task as trying to reconcile the irreconcilable. The job of seeking a way forward has passed to European Council president António Costa, with a crunch summit due at the end of November.

Protests and security around the summits

The gatherings ran under a large security operation that forced diversions in the city centre, and one account described it as the largest and most expensive in the state's history. Members of the Albanian community protested against prime minister Edi Rama over accusations of corruption in his government. At Trinity College, Joe Biden made a surprise appearance as his son Hunter received an honorary award from a debating society, and Palestinian solidarity protesters met the group, with some throwing milk, before gardaí responded with a show of force. Irish Examiner columnist Paul Hosford argued that hosting the gathering did not put Ireland at the heart of the decision-making. Ireland's EU presidency ends on New Year's Eve.