Europe to play a role in Ukraine-Russia talks in Abu Dhabi

Merz said, “We are closely coordinated with our advisors who will be attending the conference in Abu Dhabi.” He added, “I don’t have overly high expectations, it’s a process that is making progress.”

According to Merz, a key development is that “according to the unanimous assessment of all parties involved, and with the approval of Russia and the United States, the Europeans are involved in the negotiations.”

When asked who would represent Europe in the talks, Merz emphasized that it was not a project of the EU, but a project of all Europeans. He repeatedly advocates for the involvement of European states such as Great Britain and Norway.

U.S. President Donald Trump announced last week a “very big” agreement with Russia that could affect not only Ukraine but “all of Europe.” This announcement raised concerns among Europeans that Washington and Moscow might reach agreements regarding the European security order without their input.

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy coordinated with European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen shortly before the consultations in Abu Dhabi. “We have aligned our positions,” Zelenskyy stated on the online service X.

“We are doing everything to ensure that the trilateral format delivers results,” he added.

A high-ranking EU official told the news agency AFP that representatives of the EU, NATO, Germany, France, and Great Britain would be present in Abu Dhabi. However, it remained unclear in what capacity they would be involved in the negotiations.

In Berlin, Deputy Government Spokesperson Steffen Meyer assured that the German government would be “closely involved” in the negotiations in Abu Dhabi, with representation at the level of the security policy advisor. Ukrainian chief negotiator Rustem Umerov announced on online platforms that Ukrainians would hold “separate coordination meetings with our European partners” on the sidelines of the talks in Abu Dhabi.

Moscow insisted on conducting the talks only in a three-party format, involving the United States and Ukraine. Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov stated, “As for the Europeans, there are separate communication channels between the Ukrainians and Europeans, as well as between the Americans and Europeans.” Trump’s envoy and son-in-law Jared Kushner assured Europeans last week that the U.S. side would “closely” coordinate with them during the talks in Abu Dhabi.

German Foreign Minister Johann Wadephul underscored on Monday on the sidelines of a G7 foreign ministers’ meeting in Paris: “There can be no solution without Europe, but only with Europe.” He again firmly rejected a possible change to the European security architecture, as suggested by Trump. “Certainly, it is not necessary or right or appropriate to make a fundamental change to it,” he said.

Wadephul also expressed renewed doubts about Russia’s actual willingness to negotiate, stating that the talks in Abu Dhabi would reveal whether Russia genuinely wants to negotiate or if it is “just a negotiation show” intended to distract from its ongoing war. The talks in Abu Dhabi mark the first Ukrainian-Russian negotiations aimed at ending the war in eight months.