The key facts

  • Peter Magyar called on the EU to appoint a representative for Ukraine talks in a speech in Berlin
  • He cited the saying 'if you are not at the table, you are on the menu'
  • The EU has not yet discussed appointing a special negotiator — Life.ru, citing a diplomatic source in Brussels

The Hungarian Prime Minister's call

Hungarian Prime Minister Peter Magyar has called on the European Union to appoint its own special representative to conduct negotiations on settling the conflict in Ukraine. The statement was made during his speech in Berlin, Gazeta.Ru reports, citing TASS. According to Magyar, European countries should focus on two key issues — the EU's competitiveness in the energy sector and the conflict between Ukraine and Russia, which has already lasted more than four years.

The argument: 'if you are not at the table, you are on the menu'

Magyar stressed that it is extremely important for Europe that someone negotiate on behalf of the European Union, and explained his position with a well-known diplomatic saying: 'Because if you are not at the table, you are on the menu' — those who do not take part in the negotiations will not be able to defend their interests. As Life.ru additionally notes, the Prime Minister drew attention to the absence of a single political leadership capable of representing all EU countries in foreign policy matters, recalling the question attributed to Henry Kissinger: 'Who do I call if I want to talk to Europe?'

Context: the talks in Abu Dhabi and Brussels' position

The statement came against the backdrop of the negotiating track on Ukraine in Abu Dhabi. On 9 November, Le Monde reportedthat at the meeting the European countries and the European Commission are represented by the head of French diplomacy Emmanuel Bonne and the diplomatic adviser to German Chancellor Friedrich Merz, Günter Sautter, while the United Kingdom is represented by national security adviser Jonathan Powell. Earlier, Ukraine coordinated its position with the EU ahead of these talks. At the same time, according to Life.ru, citing a diplomatic source in Brussels, the European Union has not yet discussed appointing a special negotiator with Russia: in recent months no serious consultations on a candidate have taken place, and disagreements persist both on the question of direct dialogue with Moscow and on the powers of the future representative. Thus, Magyar's call so far diverges from the actual state of affairs in Brussels: a single EU negotiator has not been appointed, and, according to available information, discussion of a candidate has not begun.