The special on the war in Ukraine
Ukrainian war, for now representatives of the EU and the E5 in the European negotiating team
The European negotiating team will be made up of representatives of the EU institutions and diplomatic or security advisors from the E5, i.e. Great Britain, Germany, France, Italy and Poland. But Moscow: "The inclusion of European representatives was not discussed during the talks between Steve Witkoff and Jared Kushner in Moscow." Von der Leyen: "The path to peace will not be easy but the goal is clear"
The choice of who will represent Europe at the peace negotiations on Ukraine must be made "within one or two weeks". This was declared by Irish Prime Minister Micheál Martin, rotating president of the EU, arriving at the informal summit of the Twenty-Seven in Dublin. "I hope that today's discussions bring clarity on this point", explained Martin, recalling that "there is still work to be done between now and the Extraordinary Council in two weeks". But Moscow holds back and says: "The inclusion of European representatives in the negotiation process for a solution to the Ukrainian conflict was not discussed during the talks between Steve Witkoff and Jared Kushner in Moscow."
"I want to be clear: the path to peace will not be easy but we will remain united as we have been over the last five years in our support for Ukraine, with the final goal clear in our minds," said European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen at the end of the Dublin summit.
Meanwhile, according to Bild, Finland's exit from NATO and a reorganization of Moldova into three republics would figure among the Russian proposals for a new European security order discussed during the informal negotiations in Abu Dhabi on Ukraine. The Kremlin has denied that the request to leave the Alliance has been addressed, while Helsinki has defined the hypothesis as unacceptable.
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky met US envoys on Ukraine, Steve Witkoff and Jared Kushner, in Dublin. Zelensky hailed "the steps forward" that emerged after the Abu Dhabi talks and Witkoff and Kushner's trip to Moscow, where they were received by Russian President Vladimir Putin. Then he added that "Europeans will come to the table" at the next round of talks. According to Kushner, "significant progress" has been made in the negotiations towards resolving the Ukrainian issue. The Russian agency Tass said that details on the new round of talks will be communicated shortly.
A Russian raid hit a medical facility in Kiev, Ukraine overnight, causing a fire and damaging the second floor of the building. One person was injured, while healthcare personnel and rescuers evacuated 30 people. Attacks were also recorded in Odessa and Zaporizhzhia: at least three victims, including a 17-year-old boy. In Moscow, meanwhile, the advisor to former pro-Russian Ukrainian Prime Minister Azarov, Sergei Zavorotniy, was seriously injured in a car explosion.
In order for the EU and its member states to be able to defend themselves from "hybrid war, it is necessary to evaluate "a series of tools", for example "strengthening intelligence also at European level" to have greater "coordination" and "to be able to prevent some of these attacks": this is what was stated by the EU Defense Commissioner, Andrius Kubilius, interviewed by SkyTg24. "Our intelligence is doing an excellent job" in countering the attacks, added Kubilius, according to whom, however, "if attacks are implemented despite everything, we must be able to defend ourselves with these new capabilities and that is to be able to understand where these attacks come from and then be able to respond with the same severity". Even if, he further observed, "perhaps we cannot speak publicly about the tools that will be used". For Kubilius, "the member states have the right to decide how they want to defend themselves", but according to the intelligence services "sometimes" even for the member countries it would be "more effective a response that comes not from individual states, but from the European Union".
"The reaction to hybrid attacks against us must be as severe as the attacks. It is the only way to have deterrence from Russian attacks, to avoid further escalation", these are some of the words of EU Defense Commissioner Andrius Kubilius in an interview by Pamela Foti.
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky made it clear at the European Council that the war against Russia next year will cost 155 billion euros, and said that a contribution of 70 billion will be needed. Community funds in Kiev and the cost of the conflict in 2027 were the topics at the center of the October 16th episode of "Numeri", an in-depth analysis by Sky TG24.
"I want to be clear: the path to peace will not be easy but we will remain united as we have been over the last five years in our support for Ukraine, with the ultimate goal clear in our minds." The president of the European Commission Ursula von der Leyen said this at the end of the Dublin summit.
Deputy Secretary of the Russian Security Council, former President Dmitry Medvedev, said that no one in Moscow invited the European Union to negotiate an end to the conflict", as a result Moscow will not engage in dialogue with the High Representative of the Union for Foreign Affairs Kaja Kallas. "Kaja Kallas quotes Andrei Gromyko (Foreign Minister of the Soviet Union), writing that she should represent the European Union and that 'the Russians do not want to see her' in that role", he said Medvedev in a post on the Max platform. "No one wants her, not because she is a 'tenacious negotiator', but simply because she is stupid", added the former Russian president, concluding: "And no one has yet invited the EU to negotiations on the conflict".
"The next few weeks will be a decisive test of Russia's readiness to end this war. Its actions so far, with its escalation and attacks on Ukrainian civilians, suggest otherwise. Russia must change course". This was said by the President of the European Council Antonio Costa in the conference at the end of the informal meeting in Dublin.
The war in Ukraine and tensions in the Black Sea are forcing Russia to experiment with new routes for exporting grain, with logistics costs rising sharply. Russian shipments are declining despite good harvests, while Ukraine also continues to struggle with less efficient alternative routes.
Marine Le Pen has said she is ready for a meeting with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky, proposing that it take place in Brussels to discuss, in particular, the "financing" of Ukraine. "Yes, if I could meet him in Brussels, I would communicate it to the Ukrainian ambassador", says the candidate of the Rassemblement National, overwhelmingly favored in the polls in view of the 2027 presidential elections. "I believe, among other things, that the choice of place would be quite justified, since the reality is that the issue of financing Ukraine is an issue that is shaking Europe today", added Le Pen, on the sidelines of the Made in France exhibition in Paris. Le Pen has already announced that if she wins the Elysée in the spring vote she will put an end to funding for Ukraine. Interviewed by the Dutch broadcaster VRT News, the far-right leader said that Paris ''no longer has the means'' to finance Kiev.
The European negotiating team, for now, will be made up of representatives of the EU institutions and diplomatic or security advisors of the E5, i.e. Great Britain, Germany, France, Italy and Poland. According to what ANSA has learned from qualified European sources, the leaders agreed on this during the informal European Council.
Former Russian president Dmitri Medvedev commented with his usual harshness on Kaja Kallas's defense of his role as representative of European foreign policy, including at the negotiating table between Russia and Ukraine, if the Union were to participate. Kallas "says the Russians 'don't want her' in that position. In fact, no one wants her, not because she is a strong negotiator, but because she is stupid," she wrote on Telegram. "Not to mention the fact that the EU hasn't even been invited yet," the deputy chairman of the Security Council of the Russian Federation recalled.
Russian diplomatic spokeswoman Maria Zakharova commented on Jared Kushner's statements on the inclusion of European representatives in the negotiation process for a solution to the Ukrainian conflict by stating that "according to the knowledge of the Russian Foreign Ministry, this topic was not discussed during the talks between Steve Witkoff and Jared Kushner in Moscow". This was reported by the Tass agency.
“At the European Council, we are now discussing Ukraine and the ongoing efforts to negotiate a peace agreement.” The President of the European Council, Antonio Costa, writes this on
Finland's exit from NATO and a reorganization of Moldova into three republics would be among the Russian proposals for a new European security order discussed, according to Bild, during the informal negotiations in Abu Dhabi on Ukraine. The Kremlin has denied that the request to leave the Alliance has been addressed, while Helsinki has defined the hypothesis as unacceptable. According to the German newspaper, Moscow wants Finland to return to its status prior to joining NATO in 2023. Moldova would instead be reorganized into three components - Moldova, Transnistria and Gagauzia - with the possibility for the latter two to hold referendums on independence if the country joined the EU. The plan would also include the absence of European troops in Ukraine, Russia's retention of the occupied territories and control of the entire Donbass. Moscow would also demand the free movement of its ships in the Black Sea and the Baltic and the complete demilitarization of Ukrainian ports. In exchange, it would withdraw troops from Transnistria and nuclear weapons from Belarus. Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov denied that current NATO members were asked to leave the Alliance in the Abu Dhabi talks. "I am not aware of it," he declared. "No, such a request has not been made. This certainly has not been discussed." In Helsinki, Defense Minister Antti Häkkänen rejected the hypotheses reported by Bild. "Russia wants the European NATO countries to set limits," he said
