Meloni urges ‘disorganized’ EU to speak with one voice on Ukraine

ROME — The EU is giving the impression of being “all over the place” when it comes to Ukraine, Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni told European Council President António Costa. In a letter seen by POLITICO, Meloni said that discussing how the EU can speak with one voice on Ukraine should be added to the agenda of an informal leaders’ meeting in Dublin next week, adding that the issue “can no longer be postponed.” Meloni pointed out the various formats that have been used to discuss Ukraine, including meetings in Miami and Oslo, and upcoming talks scheduled by the Coalition of the Willing and the European Political Community, plus the phone call that Finland’s Alexander Stubb and Norway’s Jonas Gahr Støre made to Russia’s Vladimir Putin. She said the multiple forums were “undermining our credibility in handling one of the most complicated issues our nations are facing.” While the EU has repeatedly insisted it gets a “seat at the table” at Ukraine peace talks, to safeguard the region’s interests and bolster Kyiv’s ability to resist a lopsided deal, the bloc has yet to agree on a single leader or institution to spearhead negotiations. “I’m convinced that we all realize how, by projecting the image of a Europe that’s all over the place, we’re doing nothing but serving the interests of those who want this war to continue,” the Italian prime minister wrote. “And I think this is unacceptable, given that human lives and the future of our security are at stake.” “Proceeding in a disorganized manner, with initiatives that chase one another and overlap, will not help us — neither with our partners nor with those we must convince tostop this senseless aggression,” she added. “I am not asking for a seat for Italy in this or that format,” she said. EU leaders meet in Dublin for an informal European Council on Nov. 13. A meeting of the European Political Community, which involves all EU states plus Ukraine and other allies, takes place the day before. As the format for talks increasingly coalesces around the E3 — the U.K., France and Germany — alongside the EU, NATO and Ukraine, Italy has found itself sidelined. Rome was excluded from meetings in Miami in October and Brussels this week, although it did take part in talks in Oslo at the invitation of the Norwegian government. An Italian national security adviser attended a working dinner there, but Italy’s participation came in place of France, rather than as an additional seat at the table. Over the past year, Italy has emerged as the EU’s most vocal and persistent advocate for appointing a special envoy for Russia-Ukraine peace talks. Meloni first publicly floated the proposal in January, arguing that the bloc needed to “speak with one voice” and engage directly with Moscow. While other countries, including France, Austria, Czechia and Luxembourg, have also expressed support for the idea, Rome has led the push, with Italian officials repeatedly raising it on the sidelines of EU summits and in discussions among EU ambassadors preparing leaders’ meetings. Ahead of the latest EU summit in October, Italian Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Antonio Tajani seized an opportunity during an exchange with reporters at a European People’s Party pre-summit gathering to renew the call for a special envoy. Asked whether Costa himself should take on the role, Tajani praised him but insisted that the priority was for Europe to have “a spokesperson who can negotiate” and articulate a “univocal position,” warning that otherwise EU foreign policy would appear weak. Gerardo Fortuna and Elena Giordano contributed reporting. This article has been updated.