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Giorgia Meloni seeks a common EU mandate for Ukraine negotiations

Giorgia Meloni has asked European Council President Antonio Costa to settle who represents the EU in Ukraine negotiations and with what authority. Her letter criticises overlapping diplomatic initiatives and proposes discussion in Dublin before a formal December decision, after coordination with Britain, Norway and other European partners. The proposal has not appointed a representative.

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A face-down letter and an unmarked envelope on a desk in a European Council office, framed symmetrically by Italian and EU flags.

The letter asks Costa to settle representation

Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni has written to European Council President Antonio Costa urging the European Union to speak with a single voice over Ukraine negotiations. Her letter objects to European governments and groups pursuing successive diplomatic initiatives with different participants. It became public on 5 November.[1], [2]

Meloni seeks an agreed representative with an explicit negotiating mandate. She argues that the fragmented approach could reduce Europe’s influence at the table. The Italian leader says the request is not an attempt to secure a special seat for herself or Italy: she wants governments to determine who speaks for the union and what authority that person carries.[1]

She also objects to commitments being negotiated without a mandate when Italy would later be expected to fulfil them. Meloni says the outcome matters more to her government than which diplomatic format is used, linking her demand for common representation to responsibility for any resulting obligations.[2]

Meloni lists overlapping diplomatic formats

The letter points to an informal Miami meeting involving security advisers from some European countries alongside Ukraine, NATO and EU representatives. Meloni also cites a meeting in Oslo and a call to Russian President Vladimir Putin by Finnish President Alexander Stubb and Norwegian Prime Minister Jonas Gahr Støre, acting in their national capacities during the Nordic Council session in Helsinki.[1]

She describes a 19 November gathering in Berlin of the 37-state Coalition of the Willing, preceded by the differently constituted Berlin format on 12 November. Technical discussions in Brussels and planned US-mediated Russia-Ukraine talks in Abu Dhabi also feature in the letter. Meloni says Europe’s presence at the Abu Dhabi talks has not been sufficiently defined.[1]

Dublin discussion would precede a December decision

Meloni proposes putting the issue before the following week’s informal European Council in Dublin. She seeks a formal decision at the December meeting after coordination with Britain, Norway and other European partners. Asking Costa to prioritise the question, she says human lives and European security are at stake. The initiative remains Italy’s proposal for arranging European representation; the letter itself appoints no negotiator and confers no common mandate.[1]

References

  1. News sourceAvvenireMeloni calls for one EU representative and mandate in Ukraine talks↩1↩2↩3↩4↩5
  2. News sourceItalpressMeloni urges a single EU voice in Ukraine talks↩1↩2
Russia-Ukraine war

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