Europe joins US-brokered Ukraine talks
Paris and other capitals will attend the Abu Dhabi summit, a move Moscow had previously resisted.
By Hiroshi Ferrari ·
French Foreign Minister Jean-Noël Barrot confirmed on Sunday that European officials will attend the peace talks between Russia and Ukraine in Abu Dhabi this week. This participation defies the Kremlin's recent insistence that the session would remain a trilateral affair involving only the United States, Russia, and Ukraine.
Barrot stated that France would ensure Europe's voice is heard during the meetings, which are scheduled for Tuesday and Wednesday. He did not specify which French official would represent Paris or whether European delegates would negotiate directly or merely observe. The Kremlin had previously ruled out a European role, with spokesman Dmitry Peskov arguing that the trilateral format had already been agreed upon. Peskov also criticized European governments for failing to decide who speaks for them, while acknowledging that security discussions would eventually require their involvement.
This will be the fourth round of talks brokered by the Trump administration and the first since a session in Geneva this February. Earlier meetings yielded limited progress, particularly as the administration focused on its conflict with Iran. Moscow agreed to return to the table following a visit by U.S. envoy Steve Witkoff to St. Petersburg in October. That visit resulted in the release of an American prisoner, a move Moscow linked to President Trump's earlier lifting of sanctions on Russian diesel exports.
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy expressed caution regarding the process. He told CNN that he had not received details of the agreement referenced by President Trump and warned that the situation could be dangerous. Zelenskyy drew a parallel to the 1945 Yalta conference, where Allied leaders settled Europe's division without consulting several affected nations. Trump, meeting Kremlin envoy Kirill Dmitriev on Thursday, suggested a coming agreement might involve all of Europe.
Russia's delegation will be led by Vladimir Medinsky, a senior aide to President Vladimir Putin. For the first time, the group will also include Deputy Foreign Ministers Sergei Ryabkov and Mikhail Galuzin, along with military intelligence chief Igor Kostyukov. The Institute for the Study of War noted that some of these officials have previously sought to slow down negotiations or push harder for Moscow's demands. The U.S. think tank suggested the more senior lineup could indicate readiness to address political and military questions, though it also pointed to their history of delaying tactics.
The gap between the two sides remains wide. Russia demands that Ukraine cede large territories and renounce NATO membership. Zelenskyy insists that any security commitments must clearly define who would act and how if Russia attacks again. Former U.S. ambassador John Herbst wrote for the Atlantic Council that Putin has rejected every U.S. proposal accepted by Kyiv and may prefer the appearance of peace talks over actual peace.
The diplomatic efforts coincide with continued fighting. Zelenskyy reported that Russia fired 36 ballistic missiles at the Kyiv area overnight Saturday, with only four intercepted. In southern Ukraine, the death toll from a guided-bomb strike on an aid site in Komyshuvakha rose to at least 55.
