Meloni Warns EU Division Risks 'Irrelevance' in Ukraine Talks
The Facts
- Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni wrote to European Council President António Costa on Thursday, warning that the EU's "disorganized" approach to Ukraine talks risks condemning Europe to "irrelevance" in the negotiation process with Russia.
- The letter listed several formats used by EU states to discuss Ukraine, including an informal Miami meeting of national security advisers, the E3 of France, Germany and the U.K., the "Coalition of the Willing" and a call to Vladimir Putin by Finland's and Norway's leaders.
- Meloni asked for the matter to be added to the agenda of the informal European Council in Dublin next week, saying the need for Europe to speak with one voice "can no longer be postponed," with a formal decision sought at a December summit.
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The Spin
Pro-Europe narrative
A bloc holding frozen Kremlin assets, sanctions leverage and the keys to Ukrainian EU membership has earned itself a seat at the negotiating table, but only if the continent can get its act together. For too long, different groups within the EU have pursued different peace strategies, each seeking to be the nation to break the deadlock. The quicker Europe realizes it is stronger together, the quicker peace can finally be restored.
Anti-Europe narrative
Decades of outsourcing defense to Washington, regulating industry into stagnation and clinging to Russian gas left Europe with plenty of soft power and no muscle. Begging for a chair at a table Europe has no leverage to shape is the predictable price of these choices. With the fate of the continent out of its hands, Europe must accept the consequences of its actions.
