EU Leaders to Meet in Dublin on Ukraine
European leaders gather in Dublin on Thursday and Friday for summits on the Ukraine war and a potential EU envoy for peace talks.
Updated on Nov. 11, 2026 in International Relations
Live Poll
Should the EU appoint a special envoy to lead its Ukraine peace efforts?
Some 55 leaders from the European Political Community will meet in Dublin on Thursday, 12 November, with the 27 EU leaders holding an informal meeting there on Friday. The gatherings focus on the Ukraine war and on whether the EU should create an envoy for the peace process.
Why it matters
The talks come after Ukrainian president Volodymyr Zelensky held negotiations in Abu Dhabi with Russian, US, and European officials, and the EU's approach to a peace settlement remains contested. EU foreign affairs chief Kaja Kallas said sanctions on Moscow will stay in place and be strengthened.
Some 55 leaders from the European Political Community and all 27 EU leaders are expected in Dublin, while Russian negotiators allotted fewer than 120 minutes to the final Abu Dhabi meeting. The envoy's mandate and structure are still being debated, and no candidates will be nominated until December.
The players
Volodymyr Zelensky
President of Ukraine, who has led the country's negotiations with Russia and its partners during the war and has pressed the EU to move quickly on an envoy.
Kaja Kallas
EU foreign affairs chief, who said sanctions on Moscow remain in place and will be strengthened.
António Costa
President of the European Council, who invited two AI experts to brief EU leaders in Dublin.
Radek Sikorski
Polish foreign minister, who criticised the 'Shell Bay format' under which France, Germany and the UK speak on behalf of Europe.
The details
European Political Community leaders meet Thursday, followed by an informal EU leaders' meeting Friday, both in Dublin. Zelensky has urged the EU to finish the envoy process by the end of November, but nominations are expected to slip to the next summit, and a new row between Germany, Hungary and Slovakia over Ukraine has emerged.
Timeline
Thursday, 12 November: European Political Community summit in Dublin
Friday, 13 November: informal EU leaders' meeting and envoy debate in Dublin
End of November: Zelensky's requested deadline for the EU envoy process
December: next EU summit, where envoy candidates are expected to be nominated
Big Picture
The European Political Community was created in 2022 in reaction to Russia's full invasion of Ukraine, and the Dublin meetings show that forum now weighing how Europe organises its own role in any peace settlement. Divisions over who speaks for Europe, as seen in the 'Shell Bay format' dispute, remain part of that debate.
The outcome of the Dublin talks will shape the sanctions regime and the EU's role in any future negotiations over the war, which affects European governments' budgets and security commitments. Readers following the conflict should watch whether the envoy process moves forward at the December summit.
The takeaway
The Dublin summits show Europe still searching for a single voice in Ukraine diplomacy, and whether it can settle on one envoy will signal how much influence it carries in any peace deal.
What happens next
EU leaders are expected to nominate envoy candidates at the December summit, after Zelensky's requested end-of-November deadline for the envoy process.
Further reading
For background on the diplomacy shaping these talks, see International Relations.
Live Poll
Should the EU appoint a special envoy to lead its Ukraine peace efforts?
