{
  "id": 16193607,
  "title": "EU vies to expand role in Ukraine-Russia peace talks to influence US thinking",
  "url": "https://urgent.news/2026/10/23/eu-vies-to-expand-role-in-ukraine-russia-peace-talks-to-influence-us",
  "topic": "world",
  "section": "World",
  "published": "2026-10-23T14:15:39.000Z",
  "source": {
    "name": "Euronews",
    "slug": "euronews",
    "url": "https://www.euronews.com/2026/10/23/eu-vies-to-expand-role-in-ukraine-russia-peace-talks-to-influence-us-thinking"
  },
  "original_language": "en",
  "account": "The European Union is seeking a more prominent role in the peace talks aimed at ending Russia's war in Ukraine, potentially involving direct communication with Moscow. The United States is planning to revive technical-level trilateral talks in November, following its midterm elections. Ukraine is open to any format and timing for the talks, while Russia has expressed a willingness to engage \"in principle.\" The peace process was halted in February when the US initiated its war with Iran, redirecting its diplomatic focus towards the Middle East. Brussels believes a resumption of talks could advance from a trilateral format to a multilateral one, incorporating European representatives and allowing the EU to sway US thinking, which has recently leaned towards Moscow and caused concern. However, Europe's interactions with the US have often been met with dismissal or disregard, so success remains uncertain. The European Commission's deputy chief spokesperson, Arianna Podestà, stated that the EU will be present in senior official-level talks and will be represented jointly by the European Commission and the European Council. While the Kremlin has not outright opposed European participation, it emphasized that the upcoming talks in Abu Dhabi would stay trilateral. The last rounds of talks between Ukraine, Europe, and the US took place in Miami and Oslo, with only a few EU officials attending. Security guarantees, sanctions against Russia, and post-war recovery were discussed in these talks. Despite Moscow's dismissal of US envoy Steve Witkoff's proposals and its readiness to resume technical-level talks, EU officials contend that Europe cannot afford to stay out of the peace process. The US decision to form a trade deal with Russia, coupled with the easing of sanctions, has alarmed European capitals, solidifying their belief that EU involvement is crucial as a counterbalance to Washington. Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy has urged European leaders to establish their own diplomatic channel with Moscow. Finland's President Alexander Stubb has been proposed as a potential special envoy, though Moscow has set a condition that Stubb should not replicate the European stance.",
  "summary": "Brussels wants to turn the next round of trilateral peace talks betwen Ukraine, Russia and the US into a multilateral format with European representation.",
  "key_points": [
    "EU aims to expand role in Ukraine-Russia peace talks.",
    "US plans to revive trilateral talks in November.",
    "EU seeks to sway US thinking on Russia."
  ],
  "editors_take": null,
  "illustration": null,
  "coverage": {
    "outlets": 1,
    "also_reported_by": []
  },
  "ai_generated": true,
  "disclaimer": "Summaries, key points and the editor’s take are written by software from other outlets’ reporting and may contain errors — always check the linked original."
}