Europe joins U.S.-brokered Ukraine talks in Abu Dhabi despite Kremlin pushback

European officials will attend the U.S.-mediated peace talks between Russia and Ukraine in Abu Dhabi this week, a development that complicates the previously agreed trilateral format. France’s foreign minister confirmed on Sunday that Paris would participate, stating, "France will be there and will ensure that Europe’s voice is heard." This inclusion marks a shift from the original plan for a three-way session involving only Washington, Moscow, and Kyiv.

The Kremlin had objected to European involvement in recent days. On Friday, Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov told a Russian news channel that the trilateral structure was already settled and accused European governments of failing to decide who would speak for them. However, Peskov acknowledged that security discussions would eventually require Europe’s participation. President Trump also hinted at a wider scope on Thursday, telling Kremlin envoy Kirill Dmitriev that a coming agreement "might involve all of Europe."

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy expressed caution regarding the expanded scope. In a Friday interview with CNN, he said he had not received details of the agreement Trump referenced and warned, "For me, it’s not simple, and it can be dangerous." Zelenskyy compared the situation to the 1945 Yalta conference, where Allied leaders divided Europe without the input of several affected nations.

These discussions represent the fourth round of U.S.-brokered talks and the first since February in Geneva. Earlier meetings yielded little progress as the Trump administration focused on its conflict with Iran. The current round follows a visit by U.S. envoy Steve Witkoff to St. Petersburg in October, where President Vladimir Putin agreed to release an American prisoner, a move viewed as a gesture after Trump lifted sanctions on Russian diesel exports. Ukraine had opposed those fuel sales, arguing they bolstered Moscow’s war economy.

Russia’s delegation will be led by Vladimir Medinsky, a hardline aide to Putin. For the first time, Deputy Foreign Ministers Sergei Ryabkov and Mikhail Galuzin, along with military intelligence chief Igor Kostyukov, will join the talks. The Institute for the Study of War noted that some of these officials have previously sought to slow negotiations or press Moscow’s demands. The agenda includes postwar security arrangements, de-escalation measures, and humanitarian issues, topics recently advanced by a limited ceasefire brokered by Melania Trump for aid delivery in occupied areas.

Skepticism remains high among analysts. John Herbst, the former U.S. ambassador to Ukraine, argued in an op-ed for the Atlantic Council that Putin prefers participating in talks to pursuing peace, predicting the outcome might simply be an agreement to meet again. The talks also occur as Democrats gain control of Congress in midterms, a shift Zelenskyy believes could improve U.S. aid prospects. Russia may seek to finalize deal outlines before the new Congress takes office in January. A potential trilateral meeting among Trump, Chinese President Xi, and Putin is also under discussion for the APEC summit in Shenzhen later this month.

The diplomatic efforts proceed while fighting continues. Zelenskyy reported that Russia fired 36 ballistic missiles at the Kyiv area overnight Saturday, with only four intercepted. He accused Moscow of treating diplomacy as a form of aggression. In southern Ukraine, the death toll from a guided-bomb strike on an aid site in Komyshuvakha rose to at least 55 on Monday.