War in Ukraine: Europeans, including France, will be “represented” during negotiations in Abu Dhabi

Europeans and France will be “represented” during the talks between Russians and Ukrainians which are to take place on November 10 and 11 in Abu Dhabi under American mediation, Jean-Noël Barrot, the head of French diplomacy, announced on RTL/Public Sénate on Sunday.

“The Europeans will be well represented and France will be in Abu Dhabi to participate in these discussions,” declared Jean-Noël Barrot. “I cannot yet tell you who will represent France on this occasion, but she will be there,” he added. “There were discussions sometimes without the Europeans, sometimes with the Europeans. This time they will participate. France will be there and it will make the voice of Europe heard,” he also indicated.

These comments come as this week, the head of the Italian government Giorgia Meloni denounced the “disordered” approach of European countries in the negotiations on Ukraine, summoning the European Union to say who speaks in its name, in a letter seen Thursday by AFP. The head of European diplomacy Kaja Kallas insisted on Friday that Europe must be involved in any settlement of the conflict.

Jean-Noël Barrot did not specify on Sunday who would be alongside France in Abu Dhabi while Paris is pushing the E3 format (France, Germany and United Kingdom) alongside Kaja Kallas on major international crises. “In recent weeks, Europeans have spoken out and expressed to American mediators that no discussion concerning the future of this continent could ignore what our expectations and demands are,” simply said Jean-Noël Barrot.

The talks in Abu Dhabi should make it possible to outline a solution to the conflict, more than four years after the Russian invasion of Ukraine. US President Donald Trump promised on this occasion a next “very big” agreement with Russia on Ukraine, adding that it “could encompass all of Europe”. But the Europeans and kyiv warned on Friday against any idea of ​​“security architecture” which would be taking shape behind their backs.

Ukraine and several European countries fear that Washington will be tempted to put pressure on it to obtain an agreement that gives pride of place to Russian demands. Jared Kushner, Trump's envoy and his son-in-law, nevertheless indicated on Thursday that the United States would "consult closely with our European partners" on the sidelines of the Abu Dhabi talks and that "if progress is made, the objective will be to move towards a broader multilateral format with their direct participation".