Negotiations in Abu Dhabi: Paris insists on Europe's participation in Ukraine talks

Paris. According to French Foreign Minister Jean-Noël Barrot, France and Europe will be “represented” in the upcoming negotiations between Ukraine and Russia under US mediation. French negotiators would be in Abu Dhabi to take part in these talks, Barrot assured in an interview with broadcaster RTL. He did not comment on details. “I cannot yet tell you who will represent France on this occasion,” Barrot said.

The minister said Europeans had raised their voices in recent weeks and made it clear to US mediators that no discussion about the continent's future could ignore their demands. “France will be there and will make the voice of Europe heard, which is the most affected,” Barrot said.

The talks are scheduled for Tuesday and Wednesday and will, among other things, focus on the next steps towards peace in the Ukraine war that has been going on for years. US President Donald Trump spoke of a “grand agreement”, a so far little concrete peace plan that would cover all of Europe and Russia. When asked about this, Barrot said: “I don’t know the details.” It goes without saying that no agreement that has an impact on the European security architecture can be drawn up or even discussed without the Europeans.

Trump's son-in-law and negotiator Jared Kushner described on Platform X a security order that should be based on communication, military transparency and the reduction of escalation risks. He indicated that the US would “coordinate closely” with its European partners on the sidelines of the talks. Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyj expressed skepticism about the proposal for a new European security order. First there needs to be a discussion about how to end the war, he wrote on X.