BRUSSELS, January 14. /TASS/. A French-Italian initiative to urgently appoint an EU special representative for Ukraine, who would negotiate with Russia and the United States to resolve the conflict and provide Brussels with a place at the negotiating table, caused significant infighting between the countries of the bloc, Politico reported citing diplomatic sources.
It said there are "serious disagreements" between EU countries on the details of this appointment, although most countries recognize the need for the bloc to participate in a dialogue on Ukraine if Europe wants to protect its red lines, such as Ukraine's admission to NATO.
Politico notes that this topic was first discussed at the EU summit in late December. According to it, head of European diplomacy Kaja Kallas "positions herself as the only candidate for holding any negotiations on Ukraine." Former Italian Prime Minister Mario Draghi or Finnish President Alexander Stubb are also mentioned as possible candidates, but neither is backed by all EU countries.
However, it is unclear to whom such a special envoy will report: Kallas as the head of European diplomacy, the European Commission and Ursula von der Leyen, as the de facto head of the executive branch of the European Union, or the European Council, which unites all EU countries and is the main strategic decision-making body in Europe.