Europe Joins U.S. Mediated Ukraine Peace Talks in Abu Dhabi
European officials will attend the November 10-11 negotiations despite Kremlin objections to a trilateral format.
By Arjun Weber ·
European leaders will join the United States in mediating peace talks between Russia and Ukraine this week, directly contradicting Moscow's insistence that the format remains strictly trilateral. French Foreign Minister Jean-Noel Barrot confirmed on Sunday that Paris will send a delegation to Abu Dhabi to ensure Europe's position is represented. The Kremlin had previously stated that the agreed-upon structure included only Washington, Moscow, and Kyiv.
The dispute over participation stems from recent diplomatic shifts. On Thursday, President Donald Trump met with Kremlin envoy Kirill Dmitriev and suggested a final agreement would involve more than Ukraine, potentially including all of Europe. By Friday, Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov rejected this expansion, arguing that European governments had failed to establish a unified voice. He noted, however, that security discussions would eventually require European involvement.
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy expressed caution regarding the new dynamics. Speaking to CNN on Friday, he said he had not received specific details on the agreement Trump referenced. Zelenskyy warned that the situation was dangerous, drawing a parallel to the 1945 Yalta conference where affected nations were excluded from key decisions.
The negotiations are scheduled for Tuesday and Wednesday in Abu Dhabi. This marks the fourth round of U.S. brokered talks, with the previous session held in Geneva in February. Progress has been slow as the Trump administration focused on its conflict with Iran. Moscow agreed to return to the table after U.S. envoy Steve Witkoff met with President Vladimir Putin in St. Petersburg in October, an exchange that included the release of an American prisoner.
The Russian delegation will feature a more senior lineup than previous rounds. Alongside lead negotiator Vladimir Medinsky, the team will include Deputy Foreign Ministers Sergei Ryabkov and Mikhail Galuzin, as well as military intelligence chief Igor Kostyukov. Witkoff stated the agenda covers postwar security, de-escalation, and humanitarian issues.
The talks occur against a backdrop of continued military action. Zelenskyy reported that Russia launched 36 ballistic missiles at the Kyiv area on Saturday night, intercepting only four. Meanwhile, the death toll from a bomb strike on an aid site in Komyshuvakha, southern Ukraine, has risen to at least 55. A potential trilateral meeting between Trump, Chinese leader Xi, and Putin is also being discussed for late November in Shenzhen.
Analysts remain skeptical of the outcome. John Herbst, a former U.S. ambassador to Ukraine, argued in an Atlantic Council piece that Putin prefers the talks to the actual peace process. The current session follows Democratic midterm victories, a change Zelenskyy believes could strengthen Ukraine's position for future U.S. aid.
