Europe heads to the Abu Dhabi talks on ending Russia’s war, but the Kremlin says it hasn’t discussed a security deal with Europeans
Washington says work on Europe’s postwar security has already advanced, but Norway’s prime minister says it must wait until the war ends.
The European Union will participate in the US-mediated Ukraine-Russia talks in Abu Dhabi on November 10 and 11, with France poised to represent European interests, according to French Foreign Minister Jean-Noël Barrot. Although Europeans did not formally attend the January and February rounds, their role is crucial for negotiating security guarantees for Ukraine.
Britain and France are preparing a force for deployment to Ukraine if the fighting ceases and Kyiv requests it, with troops from 11 countries recently holding a first exercise in Poland. For Ukraine, Europe's involvement in the talks could determine whether security guarantees are negotiated with countries that would provide them.
Conversely, Europe's priority is its own security order, as Trump has suggested a deal might involve all of Europe. Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov denied that Russia had discussed a security agreement with Europeans, stating the talks would be trilateral between Russia and Ukraine mediated by the United States. European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen confirmed the EU's presence alongside partners and emphasized the restoration of freedom of navigation in the Black Sea.
Ukraine's chief negotiator, Rustem Umerov, revealed that representatives from Britain, France, Germany, Italy, NATO, and the European Commission would be in Abu Dhabi on the same days. Ukraine plans to hold separate coordination meetings with them. While discussing Europe's security architecture should come after the war ends, Commission spokesperson Paula Pinho stated that Ukraine will hold separate coordination meetings with these representatives.
US Secretary of State Marco Rubio hinted at progress on postwar security during a press conference in Florida, though nothing is finalized yet. Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov claimed that Russia welcomes the inclusion of security on the agenda, suggesting Moscow's interest in the talks. US President Donald Trump hinted at potential changes to Ukraine's borders during a CBS interview, though he did not elaborate on what he meant.
Norwegian Prime Minister Jonas Gahr Støre cautioned about the talks, suggesting they should lead to a quick follow-up, and emphasized that any questions about Europe's security architecture should be addressed after the war. Despite ongoing Russian strikes on Ukraine's grid, Zelenskyy accused Russia of attempting to weaken Ukraine before the talks.
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