The talks planned for the coming days in Abu Dhabi will be trilateral negotiations between Russia and Ukraine, mediated by the United States, Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov told Russian journalists on Monday. He was responding to announcements that European representatives would take part in the talks.
“What will take place in Abu Dhabi in the coming days are trilateral talks between Russia and Ukraine, with the United States as mediator,” Peskov said.
He added that Europeans may coordinate their positions with the Americans and Ukrainians through separate channels of communication, but the negotiations themselves will be trilateral.
On Sunday, French Foreign Minister Jean-Noel Barrot announced that, in addition to a U.S. delegation, France and the European Union will also be represented at the Russia-Ukraine talks scheduled for Tuesday and Wednesday in the United Arab Emirates. He did not say, however, who would represent France or which other European countries would take part in the talks. He said only that Europeans had told the American mediators that “no discussion about the future of this continent can ignore our expectations and demands.”
The question of European participation in the peace talks gained significance after earlier remarks by President Donald Trump about the possible scope of an agreement. On Thursday, after meeting with Russian envoy Kirill Dmitriev, the U.S. president said he expects a “very big” agreement that could concern not only Ukraine but all of Europe.
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy said earlier that he does not want a “Yalta 2.0.” Ukrainian Foreign Minister Andrii Sybiha, for his part, stressed in Warsaw on Saturday that Europe should be part of the peace process both before and after the Abu Dhabi talks. (PAP)
