Albares does not consider the appointment of an EU special envoy for the Ukraine war “necessary”

Eduardo González Foreign Minister José Manuel Albares declared this Thursday that he does not consider the appointment of an EU special envoy to negotiate with Russia to end the war in Ukraine “necessary” and warned that “what is important” at this time is that everyone speaks “with one voice.” “A special envoy may not be necessary; we already have our own institutions and our own channels,” such as the EU High Representative for Foreign Affairs, Kaja Kallas, Albares stated upon his arrival at the Informal Meeting of European Union Foreign Ministers, held in Limassol during the Cypriot Presidency of the Council of the EU. “More important than talking about a special envoy per se is that there must be a single voice,” he continued. “It could be a single person—we already have a High Representative—or it could be a platform of countries,” but “the important thing is to find a way for the 27 member states to speak with one voice,” because “we can’t each go in a different direction with good intentions, but with all 27 saying whatever they want,” he added. In any case, he warned, any decision the EU makes must be in accordance with “what Ukraine wants,” because, as “a sovereign state with a democratically elected government,” it is Ukraine that should tell the EU what to do, including the possibility of “having a voice in relation to Russia.” For now, he noted, the proposal is “in a very early stage” and stems from “a reflection inspired by our Ukrainian friends.” Regarding the person who could assume the role of special envoy (former German Chancellor Angela Merkel and former European Central Bank President Mario Draghi have been mentioned), Albares insisted that “the important thing is not the name, the important thing is the approach, and the approach must be a single voice.” “I have seen some names, and some of them have great political qualities and are political figures I have personally met and whose capabilities I have witnessed,” but “for the moment it is purely media speculation” and “none of those names have been anywhere near the negotiating table,” he asserted.

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