Zelensky says ‘coordinated positions’ with EU chief ahead of Abu Dhabi talks

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky has coordinated positions with EU chief Ursula von der Leyen ahead of US-mediated talks with Russia in Abu Dhabi this week. Zelensky confirmed the coordination on social media, stating that efforts are underway to ensure the trilateral format delivers results. The European Commission chief also confirmed the EU's presence at the Abu Dhabi talks, which are scheduled for Tuesday and Wednesday.

An EU official revealed that national security officials from the EU, NATO, France, Germany, and the United Kingdom will be in attendance, though the exact roles they will play remain unclear. The Kremlin maintains that the talks will still occur in the trilateral Ukraine-Russia-US format, with a Kremlin spokesman stating that there are separate communication channels between the Ukrainians and Europeans, as well as the Americans and Europeans.

US President Donald Trump has raised concerns about a potential pivot toward Russia, predicting a "very big" deal with Russia involving not only the Ukraine war but all of Europe. Jared Kushner, Trump's son-in-law, has also expressed optimism about a broader European security architecture that could establish conditions for lasting peace in Ukraine.

European allies have consistently rejected Moscow's push to reshape the European security architecture, with the Kremlin having previously demanded that NATO withdraw its troops from Eastern Europe before launching the war in Ukraine in 2022.