Rubio and Sybiha to meet in Paris before G7 discussions on Ukraine
The US and Ukrainian foreign policy chiefs are scheduled to meet on 10 November as separate peace talks involving Ukraine, Russia and the United States get under way in Abu Dhabi.
By Larissa Bell ·
US Secretary of State Marco Rubio is scheduled to meet Ukrainian Foreign Minister Andrii Sybiha in Paris on 10 November, ahead of discussions among foreign ministers from the Group of Seven countries. The meeting places bilateral US-Ukrainian discussions before the wider G7 talks on support for Ukraine.
Washington-based correspondent Alex Raufoglu reported the planned meeting, saying Ukraine would feature prominently in Rubio's Tuesday programme in the French capital. After meeting Sybiha, Rubio is due to join the G7 discussions, where a working lunch will focus on support for Ukraine.
Raufoglu linked the timing of the Paris engagements to a separate diplomatic gathering in Abu Dhabi. Peace talks bringing together Ukraine, the United States and Russia are scheduled there for 10 and 11 November, overlapping with the meeting between Rubio and Sybiha and the G7 discussions in Paris.
The Abu Dhabi talks will also be attended by representatives of European institutions and individual European countries. The European Commission, European Council, Germany, France and Britain will be represented at security adviser level. The NATO secretary general's chief of staff is also due to attend the talks.
Before the trilateral discussions begin, US special envoys Jared Kushner and Steve Witkoff are scheduled to meet European representatives. That meeting will precede the negotiations involving the Ukrainian, American and Russian sides, while the separate Paris programme includes both the bilateral foreign ministers' meeting and the G7 working lunch.
Ukraine's delegation to the trilateral talks will include Foreign Intelligence Service head Rustem Umierov and the head of the President's Office, Kyrylo Budanov. Serhii Kyslytsia, first deputy head of the President's Office, will also represent Ukraine, alongside deputy defence intelligence chief Vadym Skibitskyi and Servant of the People parliamentary faction leader Davyd Arakhamiia.
The Ukrainian side has limited expectations for the opening meeting with Russian and US representatives in Abu Dhabi. It does not anticipate a breakthrough at that first encounter, but hopes a second round of talks will bring progress.
Ahead of the diplomatic meetings, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy spoke about the relationship between military developments and negotiations. Following a meeting of the Supreme Commander-in-Chief's Staff on 9 November, he said Ukrainian troops were strengthening the country's negotiating position.
