Europe Joins Abu Dhabi Peace Talks
French officials confirm participation in the U.S.-brokered meeting, a move Moscow previously rejected but now appears to be accommodating with a senior delegation.
By Amir Navarro ·
U.S. officials have long sought a resolution to the war in Ukraine, but the diplomatic process has stalled since February. This week, that pause ends as negotiators gather in Abu Dhabi for the fourth round of talks.
France’s Foreign Minister Jean-Noël Barrot announced Sunday that Paris will send a delegation to the meeting. He stated that France will ensure Europe’s voice is heard, though he did not specify whether French officials would negotiate directly or simply observe. This inclusion defies a stance taken by the Kremlin earlier this week. Spokesman Dmitry Peskov had told a Russian news channel on Friday that the trilateral format between Washington, Moscow, and Kyiv was already agreed upon, accusing European governments of failing to decide who speaks for them.
The sessions are scheduled for Tuesday and Wednesday in Abu Dhabi. The Russian delegation will be led by Vladimir Medinsky, a hardline aide to President Vladimir Putin who has attended most discussions since March 2022. For the first time, the team includes Deputy Foreign Ministers Sergei Ryabkov and Mikhail Galuzin, along with Yury Zhigarlovsky and military intelligence chief Igor Kostyukov. This senior lineup suggests Moscow is prepared to address political and military questions, although the Institute for the Study of War noted that some of these officials have previously sought to slow down the process.
U.S. envoy Steve Witkoff will represent the United States. He said the agenda will cover postwar security arrangements, de-escalation, and humanitarian issues. This follows a recent visit by Witkoff to St. Petersburg in October, where he met with President Putin. That meeting resulted in Putin announcing the release of an American prisoner, a move seen as a gesture of good will after the U.S. lifted sanctions on Russian diesel exports.
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy expressed caution regarding the negotiations. Speaking to CNN on Friday, he warned that the process is not simple and can be dangerous, invoking the 1945 Yalta conference where Allied leaders settled Europe's division without consulting several affected nations. He noted that he had not yet received specific details of the agreement referenced by President Donald Trump. Trump met with Kremlin envoy Kirill Dmitriev on Thursday and suggested a coming agreement might involve all of Europe.
The talks occur while the war continues on the ground. Zelenskyy reported that Russia fired 36 ballistic missiles at the Kyiv area overnight Saturday, with only four intercepted. He accused Moscow of treating diplomacy as a form of aggression. In southern Ukraine, the death toll from a guided-bomb strike on an aid distribution site in Komyshuvakha rose to at least 55 on Monday.
Analysts remain skeptical of the outcome. John Herbst, a former U.S. ambassador to Ukraine, wrote for the Atlantic Council that Putin has rejected every U.S. proposal Kyiv accepted. He argued that the only likely outcome of the current talks is an agreement to hold another round. The meeting in the UAE also takes place after Democrats won midterm elections in the U.S., a result Zelenskyy said could improve Ukraine's chances of receiving more aid. Russia may also be moving quickly to finalize a deal before a Democratic-controlled Congress takes power in January.
