Europe will be represented at upcoming US-mediated talks with Moscow and Kyiv in Abu Dhabi aimed at ending the Ukraine war, France announced on Sunday.
“The Europeans will be represented and France will be in Abu Dhabi to participate in these talks,” French Foreign Minister Jean-Noel Barrot told RTL radio.
The announcement followed remarks from US President Donald Trump predicting a very big deal with Russia involving the Ukraine war and all of Europe, which stoked fears of a US pivot toward the Kremlin.
Scheduled discussions for Tuesday and Wednesday had previously been framed as a trilateral format involving officials from Ukraine, Russia, and the United States rather than leaders. The identities of the participants have not been made public.
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky has expressed a desire for European involvement in the process. Russia previously suggested there would be no place for European representatives at the negotiating table.
Barrot stated that past discussions sometimes excluded Europeans, but this time they would participate. “France will be there and will ensure that Europe’s voice is heard,” he added.
Officials from the United States, Europe, Ukraine, and NATO met in Brussels on Thursday ahead of the Abu Dhabi meetings. A NATO spokeswoman said they sought to advance a just and sustainable end to the war in Ukraine.
Jared Kushner, the US president’s envoy and son-in-law, joined the Brussels meeting via videolink. He said the United States was working on a broader European security architecture that can help establish the conditions for lasting peace.
European allies view the American approach with caution because they have long rejected Moscow’s desire to rewrite European security. Before launching the war in Ukraine in 2022, the Kremlin issued an ultimatum to NATO demanding that alliance troops withdraw from eastern Europe, a demand the Western military alliance rejected.
Kushner stated on Thursday that Washington will consult closely with European partners on the sidelines of the Abu Dhabi talks. He said that if progress is made, the goal is to move toward a broader multilateral format with their direct participation.
