EU says Russia can't decide Europe's envoy for Ukraine talks: ‘They don’t want anybody strong’

European Union's foreign policy chief Kaja Kallas on Friday claimed that Russia did not want a “strong” European voice at the negotiating table with Ukraine, but asserted that Moscow had no say in deciding who represents Europe in peace talks to end the Ukraine war.Kallas warned Friday that Europe must not walk into Russian “traps” as it takes a seat at the table in talks to end the Ukraine war. (Agencja Wyborcza.pl via REUTERS)“They don't want anybody strong on the other side because they want to push through their maximum demands,” Kallas told reporters after arriving at EU summit talks in Dublin, AFP reported. Kallas said she knew Russia did not want her at the table, but added that she spoke on behalf of all 27 member states rather than in a personal capacity, news agency Reuters reported. She said EU could not just send any person for the role, adding that there were institutions in place for the same.Also Read | India’s framework for peace in the Russia-Ukraine conflictThe Kremlin had on Friday said Europe must show it is ready to contribute to the Ukraine peace process before a decision is made on letting them join. “Once we understand their genuine intention and readiness to contribute to the peace process, then it will be possible to make a decision on holding dialogue on a Ukrainian settlement in an expanded format,” Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov said, according to news agency Reuters.This comes a day after US envoy Steve Witkoff said Russian President Vladimir Putin had agreed to let European representatives join the next round of Ukraine peace talks. This was announced by Witkoff after two days of trilateral talks involving Russia, Ukraine and US this week in Abu Dhabi. These meetings were the first direct US-mediated negotiations between Russia and Ukraine in nine months.EU's Kallas warns against Russia's ‘traps’, calls for ceasefire ‘first’Kallas warned Friday that Europe must not walk into Russian “traps” as it takes a seat at the table in talks to end the Ukraine war.“First we need a ceasefire. If we start to talk about what Russia is asking regarding the security architecture, we actually walk into the traps that Russia is setting us, which is that we divert the attention away from that there is no ceasefire,” Kallas said, according to AFP.Meanwhile's EU chief Ursula von der Leyen asserted that Europe would defend its interests and back Ukraine in the negotiations. “I think it is self-explanatory that Europe is included in the peace talks to safeguard our interests, but also to support Ukraine,” AFP cited von der Leyen as saying.Also Read | Putin had four plans to defeat Ukraine. He only has two left.Uncertainty over Europe's envoy for Ukraine talksWhile Europe has been given a seat at the negotiating table for future talks, there is still uncertainty over its representation, and whether it would be a delegation or a single envoy. While senior EU officials and politicians have been suggested, the constituents have not yet reached consensus in the matter.The topic is reportedly being debated upon as leaders from the 27-nation EU meet at a summit in Dublin, the Associated Press reported. While most leaders avoided answering with certainty on the envoy, others backed EU's top diplomat Kallas or European Council president Antonio Costa, Bloomberg reported.The decision would be significant, given European concerns that a US-backed process could leave them sidelined, AP reported. Ukraine, too, is in broad agreement on the importance of support from its European allies, given the recent deterioration in ties between Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky and US President Donald Trump. Trump's latest breaks to Russia in the form of a diesel deal and the waiving of some Russia-related energy sanctions has led to distrust for the Trump administration among the European nations.Irish Prime Minister Micheál Martin stressed on the importance of deciding upon an envoy when he arrives for EU summit talks in Dublin, saying, “I would hope that today’s discussions bring clarity around this. It needs to be, in my view, finally decided upon within the next week or two.”French President Emmanuel Macron further said, “Without Europeans, there is no support for Ukraine. There is no more US support.”