Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni has called on the European Union to decide who should represent the bloc in negotiations aimed at ending Russia's war against Ukraine and what authority that representative should have. The proposal was outlined in a letter from the Italian prime minister to European Council President António Costa.
Meloni suggested discussing the issue during an informal meeting of EU leaders in Dublin next week.
According to Meloni, the current approach, in which different negotiators represent EU interests across various diplomatic formats, undermines the bloc's credibility.
"I am convinced that we are all aware that, by creating the impression that Europe is acting without coordination, we are simply playing into the hands of those who want this war to continue. In my view, this is unacceptable, given that human lives and the future of our security are at stake," Meloni wrote.
She called for a definitive decision on who would represent the EU at the negotiating table and what mandate that person would receive.
"A disorderly approach, in which initiatives emerge one after another and overlap, will not help us — either in our relations with partners or in persuading those who need to be convinced to end this senseless aggression," Meloni emphasised.
The prime minister, who insisted that she was not seeking a separate official role for Italy in the negotiations, added that she wanted the EU to be ready to make a decision at the December meeting of member state leaders.
"Otherwise, I fear we risk reducing Europe to a role that has no influence whatsoever on the negotiating process," Meloni stated.
