EU approves composition of delegation for talks with Russia on Ukraine

The European Union summit has agreed on the composition of a delegation for expert-level meetings with Russian representatives, European Council President Antonio Costa told journalists. It will include representatives of EU institutions and countries of the so-called coalition of the willing.

According to Costa, EU leaders "support the talks," and the European delegation will act in close coordination and full unity.

European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen said she welcomes the momentum in efforts to achieve a just and lasting peace, as well as the creation of a European negotiating team in the E5 plus two EU institutions format — the European Council and the European Commission.

Earlier, Agence France-Presse reported that the delegation would include representatives of the European Commission, the EU Council, Germany, France, Italy and Poland, as well as the United Kingdom, which is not a member of the European Union. The EU approved for contacts with Russia the same group of negotiators that flew to Abu Dhabi.

According to a Bloomberg source, these are talks at the "expert level": countries will be represented at the level of national security advisers. The question of representatives at the level of leaders remains open.

Representatives of the United Kingdom, Germany and France were present in Abu Dhabi but did not officially take part in the talks — only the American and Ukrainian delegations met with them.

Moscow categorically objects to expanding the format of the talks. The head of the Russian delegation in Abu Dhabi, aide to the Russian president Vladimir Medinsky, said he does not understand the status and role of the Europeans in these talks, calling them "tourists."