European leaders have agreed on the make-up of a European team for negotiations on peace in Ukraine, bringing together EU institutions and five countries involved in a wider coalition supporting Kyiv.
The decision came at an informal meeting in Dublin on Friday 13 November, where leaders also held their first in-depth strategic discussion on artificial intelligence. The proposed negotiating team includes France, Germany, Italy, Poland and the United Kingdom, alongside the European Council and European Commission.
European Council President António Costa said the leaders wanted Europe to act together in discussions affecting Ukraine and the continent’s security. The announcement settles a question about the composition Europe has chosen for its team; it is not a peace agreement and does not resolve the terms of any future settlement.
A European team for talks
The five countries, known as the E5, are part of the Coalition of the Willing, which has worked on support and possible security arrangements for Ukraine. The UK is not an EU member, so the team brings together both EU institutions and a country outside the bloc.
Leaders had been considering how Europe should be represented as diplomatic activity intensified. Some had favoured a single envoy, while others wanted a team. The agreement announced in Dublin takes the latter approach, although the identities of the individual representatives of the EU institutions were not immediately clear.
Costa said that only Ukraine has the legitimacy to decide matters concerning its territory and sovereignty. He described the EU’s role as central to discussions about Ukraine’s European future, reconstruction and prosperity. Security guarantees, he said, should be addressed through the wider coalition in close coordination with NATO.
Those are positions about how the European side should approach the talks, not guarantees that the parties have agreed on a settlement. The form of any security commitments, how they would operate and whether they would be accepted remain matters for negotiation.
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy and US envoy Jared Kushner said after meeting in Dublin on Thursday that Europe would take part in the next round of talks. The Kremlin said on Friday that Russia would be open to European participation if it saw a genuine intention to contribute to peace.
Representatives of Ukraine, Russia and the United States met in Abu Dhabi earlier in the week, while European representatives were involved in discussions there. Fundamental questions, including territory, remain unresolved. The announcement in Dublin does not establish when a further round will take place or which individuals will sit at the table.
EU leaders are also due to discuss Ukraine’s financing needs for 2027 and beyond at their next meeting on 26 and 27 November. The European Commission intends to put forward a proposal before then. Any new funding arrangements will depend on the decisions that follow; the Dublin meeting did not itself settle them.
AI investment and safeguards
The gathering, hosted by Irish Taoiseach Micheál Martin, was also an opportunity for leaders to consider how Europe develops and uses artificial intelligence. They discussed both its potential to improve productivity and public services and the risks that come with its use.
The discussion included AI executive Arthur Mensch and Nobel laureate Geoffrey Hinton. Leaders examined the need for investment, access to computing infrastructure and affordable clean energy, as well as ways to reduce dependence in important parts of the technology supply chain.
European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen said seven large AI computing facilities, known as gigafactories, were in planning and that around €30 billion was being mobilised for them. The facilities are intended to provide computing capacity for developing advanced AI models. The figure describes investment being mobilised, not money confirmed as spent or proof that the facilities are operating.
The Commission has sought public and private investment for the infrastructure. A tender call was scheduled to close on 12 November, with award decisions expected around the start of 2027. Selected projects are expected to begin operating within a maximum of 18 months after contracts are signed.
Leaders also considered the effects of AI on jobs and Europe’s social model, alongside questions about security, fundamental rights and trust. Costa said oversight was needed to manage the technology’s risks and that Europe should contribute to discussions on international standards.
The European Council plans to return to AI at a meeting on 5 February 2027. Its impact on society and employment is also intended to be a central theme of the 2027 social summit, bringing EU representatives together with social partners.
