European Leaders Call for Special Envoy to Secure Role in Ukraine Peace Process

At the Munich Security Conference, European leaders emphasized the need for a dedicated envoy to ensure Europe’s participation in any future peace negotiations on Ukraine.

Finnish President Alexander Stubb proposed a diplomatic approach similar to the one used in Kosovo, suggesting that Europe appoint a high-profile envoy.

“If I may just throw out one idea loosely, if there is a negotiating table, I think we need to do something similar that was done in Kosovo,” Stubb said. He referred to Martti Ahtisaari’s role in resolving the Kosovo conflict and suggested that Europe should have both a lead envoy and a deputy at the level of Trump’s Ukraine envoy Keith Kellogg. “In that sense, we get some kind of a skin in the game,” he added.

Croatian Prime Minister Andrej Plenković echoed the need for a strong European presence in the negotiation process. “What we lacked on Ukraine in recent years was one personality highly respected by everyone, taken into account in Moscow, taken into account in Kyiv, and having support in Washington and European capitals and other leaders, including the global South, that could have the authority to manage the peace talks,” he said. “We need the high visibility of someone strong, who can manage the process.”

The discussion follows a week of diplomatic strain, with European leaders expressing concern over their exclusion from key decisions regarding Ukraine.

Earlier at the Munich Security Conference, Trump’s special envoy for Ukraine, Keith Kellogg, stated that Europe would not take part in Ukraine-Russia peace talks, though it would be consulted. He urged European nations to focus on concrete proposals and defense spending rather than seeking direct involvement in negotiations.

His remarks prompted concerns among European leaders, with French President Emmanuel Macron calling for a meeting in Paris and Polish Prime Minister Donald Tusk stressing the need for a European security strategy. Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy also addressed the issue, emphasizing that decisions on Ukraine should not be made without its participation.