Ireland, which holds the EU’s rotating presidency and hosted the informal gathering, had billed the meeting as a rare chance for a high-level discussion on how to develop artificial intelligence in accordance with European values.
But the question of how to secure peace in Ukraine — and who should negotiate on Europe’s behalf — quickly dominated discussions, as leaders sparred over the format of future peace negotiations and warned about the risks of a potential deal brokered between Trump and Russian President Vladimir Putin.
Indeed, a meeting next week between the U.S. and Russian leaders has set Europe on edge, prompting warnings about a possible Yalta-type agreement in which superpowers would decide on European security questions over the heads of countries directly concerned, reminiscent of talks toward the end of World War II that divided Europe up between the four allied powers.
“That is why I want to make our message to the U.S. very clear: Please, no surprises!” German Chancellor Friedrich Merz said regarding the Trump-Putin meeting, scheduled to take place during an APEC summit in Shenzhen, China, on Nov. 18-19. “Continue to play on Team Europe and on the same team as Ukraine. And let’s work together for genuine peace in Ukraine.”
The question of who should represent Europe in future discussions about Ukraine and the post-conflict security order was added to the summit’s agenda at the last minute, following a request from Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni.
Earlier in the day, Merz had voiced preference for a narrower group made up of officials from Berlin, Paris and London, while Kaja Kallas, the EU’s chief diplomat, argued that she was best placed to lead discussions.