FT: Europe could be represented by Britain, France and Germany in talks to end the war in Ukraine

The US and Ukraine have previously agreed that Britain, France and Germany will represent Europe in talks to end the war. But such an initiative could alienate the continentʼs smaller states.

This is reported by the Financial Times (FT), citing four European diplomats.

According to one diplomat, in September, representatives of the US President Donald Trump — Steve Witkoff and Jared Kushner — informed the Ukrainian side that the so-called E3 group — Britain, France, and Germany — could become the "main format of European representation" in the negotiations.

The dispute over representation has arisen amid European concerns that Trump and Putin could negotiate European security without the EUʼs involvement, including discussing guarantees for Russia that would include restrictions on NATO.

Alexander Gabuyev, director of the Carnegie Berlin Center for Russian and Eurasian Studies, believes that Moscow is unlikely to be interested in serious negotiations to end the war by the end of winter. According to him, Europe should also be prepared for the fact that the negotiations will take place when Ukraine is in a weaker position.

• Talks about European representatives at the talks to end the war have resumed after information about a new round of talks between Ukraine, the US and Russia in the first half of November in Abu Dhabi. The Telegraph, citing diplomatic sources, wrote that Russia wants to involve European leaders in order to obtain concessions from NATO.
• Finnish President Alexander Stubb and Norwegian Prime Minister Jonas Gahr Støre subsequently held a telephone conversation with Putin on October 27. This drew criticism from some European countries, who said that Europe lacked a common position.

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