Events in Moscow gave the European Political Community summit in Dublin a hard edge, shining a sharper spotlight than expected on Micheál Martin’s master of ceremonies role.
Ukraine’s president Volodymyr Zelensky made his third visit to Ireland in 12 months, attempting to maintain a grip on the Trump administration’s latest peace initiative following two days of talks in Abu Dhabi.
A European delegation had traveled to Abu Dhabi for those discussions only to be sidelined by Russia. Zelensky also announced that Elon Musk’s Starlink satellite system had once again been mysteriously downgraded, hindering Ukraine’s defense against Russian ballistic missiles and jet-powered drones.
Following an address to the plenary session at the Convention Centre and a Friends of Ukraine meeting on the margins with UK prime minister Andy Burnham, Zelensky high-tailed it to the aerodrome for talks with Kushner and Witkoff.
After an hour-long meeting, the three confirmed that Europe would be invited to the next round of talks in Abu Dhabi the following week.
"Europe will be [part of] the negotiation team, not sideways, not separately. They will have a voice. This is important for us because the war is in Europe," said Volodymyr Zelensky, President of Ukraine.
Kushner added further details regarding Washington’s stance on continental inclusion.
"We cannot conclude this deal without the Europeans being at the table.”
However, after meeting the envoys, Vladimir Putin laid the blame for the ongoing war squarely at Europe’s door.
Putin also rejected any European military presence in postwar Ukraine as unacceptable foreign troops, claiming such a deployment would mean a continuation of the war.
At the same time, Kremlin officials made it clear that any negotiations must include a rewriting of Europe’s settled postwar security arrangements.
"The current system does not work. That’s obvious to everyone.”
Vladimir Medinsky, Moscow’s lead negotiator, told Russian television that Moscow wanted to create a new comprehensive European security system serving as a new Yalta and Potsdam to replace the postwar order.
Leaders in Dublin quickly detected subterfuge behind Moscow’s conditional offer.
"This is a trap.”
French president Emmanuel Macron secured the signatures of 41 European leaders on a set of principles underpinning postwar discussions, including the Taoiseach. The framework pledged support for international law against unprovoked Russian aggression and reaffirmed Ukraine’s territorial integrity.
German Chancellor Friedrich Merz dismissed Russian efforts to re-litigate the end of the Cold War during ceasefire discussions.
"There will be no discussions about Ukraine without Ukraine, and no discussions about Europe without Europe. There is also no need to talk about [a] European security architecture. Friedrich Merz told reporters about the situation.”
European Council President Antonio Costa spoke during a news conference.
"Ukraine is a sovereign nation, like any other nation in Europe. It must remain free to choose its alliances and its partnerships.”
The Taoiseach adopted a more circumspect tone when questioned about Yalta and Potsdam parallels, noting that while Russia violated the existing security architecture by invading Ukraine, history shows that ending wars requires practical diplomatic processes.
"You have to get people to the table. You’ve got to get people to get off their war footing. That is why the European perspective is important in terms of what peace looks like.”
Concerns remain among European leaders that the upcoming APEC summit in China could turn into a second Anchorage moment if President Trump yields to a carve-up of eastern Europe.
"Some here in Dublin fear this could turn into a ‘second Anchorage moment’. I therefore want to state our message to the United States very clearly: please, no surprises. Continue to play as part of ‘Team Europe’ and ‘Team Ukraine’," Merz said.
Questions persist regarding who will represent Europe in negotiations given the multi-layered support provided by both EU and non-EU members. Recent phone calls to Putin by Norwegian prime minister Jonas Gahr Støre and Finnish president Alexander Stubb without prior EU leadership clearance sparked sharp criticism from figures like Denmark’s prime minister Mette Frederiksen and Italy’s Giorgia Meloni.
Kaja Kallas stated she was prepared to represent the EU pending a leader-driven mandate, while Micheál Martin argued that representation should extend beyond the European Union.
The United Kingdom has been involved. Norway has been heavily involved. That all has to be taken into consideration because it’s a European continent-wide issue," Martin said.
Following the summit, Costa confirmed that leaders agreed on a European team comprising EU institutions alongside the E5 format consisting of the UK, France, Germany, Italy, and Poland.
And this is ultimately a team effort.”
