Europe Joins U.S.-Mediated Ukraine Talks in Abu Dhabi Despite Kremlin Resistance
Paris insists European representatives will attend the November 10 and 11 sessions, challenging Moscow's previous insistence on a strictly trilateral format.
By Bianca Shevchenko ·
European diplomats will join U.S.-mediated peace talks in Abu Dhabi this week, defying a Kremlin objection that had ruled out their participation.
Jean-Noel Barrot, the French foreign minister, announced on Sunday that France would be present to ensure Europe's voice is heard. He did not clarify whether European officials would negotiate directly or merely observe. This decision comes after Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov stated on Friday that the trilateral format between Washington, Moscow, and Kyiv had already been agreed upon. Peskov argued that European governments failed to decide who speaks for them, though he conceded that security talks would eventually require their involvement.
The meetings are scheduled for Tuesday and Wednesday in Abu Dhabi. They represent the fourth round of negotiations brokered by the Trump administration and the first since Geneva in February. Previous sessions have yielded little progress, a stagnation attributed partly to the U.S. administration's focus on the war with Iran. Moscow agreed to return to the table after U.S. envoy Steve Witkoff met with Vladimir Putin in St. Petersburg in October. That visit resulted in the release of an American prisoner, a move Putin linked to Trump's lifting of sanctions on Russian diesel exports, a deal Ukraine opposed because it replenished Moscow's war chest.
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy expressed caution regarding the scope of the negotiations. Speaking to CNN on Friday, he noted that he had not received details of the agreement Trump referenced. Trump had suggested a coming deal might involve all of Europe. Zelenskyy compared the situation to the 1945 Yalta conference, where Allied leaders divided Europe without consulting several affected nations. He warned that the current dynamic is not simple and can be dangerous.
The Russian delegation will be led by Vladimir Medinsky, a senior aide to Putin who has participated in most talks since 2022. For the first time, Deputy Foreign Ministers Sergei Ryabkov and Mikhail Galuzin will attend alongside Yury Zhigarlovsky and military intelligence chief Igor Kostyukov. This senior lineup suggests Moscow is prepared to address political and military questions, though the Institute for the Study of War noted that some of these officials have previously sought to slow down negotiations or push for harder demands.
Substantial gaps remain between the two sides. Russia demands that Ukraine cede large parts of its territory and renounce NATO membership. Zelenskyy insists that any security commitments must clearly define who acts and how if Russia attacks again. Some analysts remain skeptical of the process. John Herbst, the former U.S. ambassador to Ukraine, wrote for the Atlantic Council that Putin has rejected every U.S. proposal accepted by Kyiv. He suggested the only likely outcome is agreement to another round of talks.
Political shifts in the United States add another layer to the negotiations. Democrats won midterm elections that Zelenskyy said could improve Ukraine's chances of more U.S. aid. Russia may also seek to finalize Trump administration outlines of a deal before a Democratic-controlled Congress takes office in January. A trilateral meeting between Trump, Xi, and Putin at the APEC summit in Shenzhen later this month is also under discussion. As officials prepare for Abu Dhabi, the conflict continues. Zelenskyy said Russia fired 36 ballistic missiles at the Kyiv area overnight Saturday, intercepting only four. In southern Ukraine, the death toll from a strike on an aid distribution site in Komyshuvakha rose to at least 55.
