AFP: EU Agrees on Team for Possible Expert-Level Talks with Russia

Dragon Media News Desk

EU leaders have agreed on a delegation for possible expert-level talks with Russia, Agence France-Presse reported, citing a European source. The team is expected to include representatives of the European Commission, the European Council, Germany, France, Italy and Poland, as well as the United Kingdom, which is not an EU member.

According to AFP, the proposed team would be the same group that travelled to Abu Dhabi earlier this week. Russia, the United States and Ukraine held trilateral talks there on November 10 and 11. According to the Russian account, European representatives did not take part in the trilateral meeting but held consultations with Ukrainian and US officials on its sidelines.

Kremlin aide Yury Ushakov said the possibility and format of any meeting between Russia and European representatives would be discussed in light of the outcome of the Abu Dhabi talks. Kremlin spokesperson Dmitry Peskov also said no decision had been made on European participation. He said an expanded format could be considered once Moscow was satisfied that European countries were genuinely ready to contribute to the peace process.

Russian Foreign Ministry Spokeswoman Maria Zakharova criticised European countries for holding exercises ahead of the Abu Dhabi talks to rehearse the possible deployment of foreign troops to Ukraine. She said it was contradictory for European governments to speak of peace and negotiations while continuing their financial and military support for Ukraine.

At a meeting in Dublin on November 13, EU leaders discussed Europe’s role in diplomatic efforts on Ukraine and the importance of maintaining a common EU position in negotiations.