On Thursday, Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni said that Europe risks losing its relevance in any peace talks on Ukraine if it does not abandon the practice of competing diplomatic initiatives and agree on a single representative authorized to speak on its behalf, UNN reports, citing Reuters.
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In a letter to European Council President António Costa, Meloni said that the multiplicity of negotiating formats undermines confidence in Europe and creates the impression that it is acting chaotically — "without any systematic approach."
She emphasized that she does not seek a seat at the negotiating table either for herself or for Italy, but Rome will not recognize any commitments agreed without an appropriate mandate from the EU.
Meloni called on EU leaders to decide who will represent the bloc in the negotiations and what powers that representative should be granted.
She proposed discussing the issue at an informal meeting of the European Council in Dublin next week, with a final decision to be made at the December summit — after prior coordination with the United Kingdom, Norway, and other European partners.