EU divided over Europe's role in Ukraine peace talks in Abu Dhabi
Photo: EU countries are divided over their positions on the Abu Dhabi talks (Getty Images)
EU countries are divided over how prominently Europe should be represented at the upcoming talks in Abu Dhabi on resolving Russia's war against Ukraine, according to Politico.
National security advisers from France, Germany, and the UK — the so-called E3 group — will take part in this week's talks on Ukraine in Abu Dhabi.
Their presence is intended to ensure European representation at the US-mediated negotiations between Ukraine and Russia.
A German official described the Abu Dhabi meeting as a "starting point," with further rounds of talks expected afterward. On Thursday, on the sidelines of the European Political Community summit in Dublin, E3 representatives will brief a wider group of participants in an effort to "broaden the scope of discussions."
Asked whether the national security advisers would be inside the negotiating room, the German official said that "the format will be determined as the discussions progress."
Meanwhile, an EU representative, speaking on condition of anonymity, said the national security advisers would be in the building or nearby but would not participate directly in the negotiations.
EU countries divided
Those advocating for broader European involvement believe that limiting participation to the E3 group is insufficient. Among those pushing to expand the group are Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni, Polish Foreign Minister Radosław Sikorski, and European Council President António Costa.
Eastern and Northern European countries are concerned that the negotiations will address a new "European security architecture," an issue previously raised by US President Donald Trump's son-in-law and envoy, Jared Kushner.
Sikorski stressed that Eastern European countries did not want Western Europe negotiating with Russia without consulting them.
An EU diplomat also emphasized that there can be no discussions about Europe or its security without Europe's direct involvement.
French Foreign Minister Jean-Noël Barrot said that France and Europe would be "properly represented" in Abu Dhabi. However, as of Sunday evening, it remained unclear whether representatives of EU institutions would join the negotiations.
Abu Dhabi talks
As a reminder, Trump's special envoy Steve Witkoff previously announced that the first trilateral meeting between Ukraine, the United States, and Russia since February was scheduled to take place in Abu Dhabi on November 10 and 11 as part of the negotiations aimed at ending the war.
According to him, the parties plan to discuss future security arrangements, de-escalation, humanitarian issues, and further steps toward achieving peace.
A source familiar with the matter told RBC-Ukraine that Ukraine will be represented at the meeting by Foreign Intelligence Service chief Oleh Ivashchenko, Presidential Office head Kyrylo Budanov, Servant of the People parliamentary faction leader David Arakhamia, First Deputy Head of the Presidential Office Serhii Kyslytsia, and Deputy Chief of Ukraine's Defense Intelligence Vadym Skibitskyi.
