KYIV: Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy said on Monday (Nov 9) he had spoken with EU chief Ursula von der Leyen to coordinate positions with the bloc ahead of US-mediated talks with Russia in Abu Dhabi this week.
European powers are engaged in an intense diplomatic push to ensure any settlement in Russia’s war on Ukraine is fair to Kyiv – and avoid Washington offering Moscow new security guarantees over Europe’s head.
Posting on X after speaking with von der Leyen, Zelenskyy said they had “coordinated our positions regarding the meeting in Abu Dhabi”.
“We are doing everything to ensure that the trilateral format delivers results,” he added.
The European Commission chief confirmed on social media after their exchange that “the EU will be present alongside our partners” for the Abu Dhabi talks taking place on Tuesday and Wednesday, echoing weekend statements by France’s foreign minister.
Kyiv’s lead negotiator Rustem Umerov announced that the Ukrainian delegation – currently on the way to Abu Dhabi – would “hold separate coordination meetings with our European partners” there.
“Representatives of European countries – including the E4 group (the United Kingdom, France, Germany, and Italy) – as well as representatives of NATO and the European Commission will be in Abu Dhabi,” Umerov said on Telegram.
An EU official told AFP earlier that national security officials for the EU, NATO, France, Germany and the United Kingdom would be on site – although precisely how they would be involved was still unclear.
“Exact formats we will see when we get there,” the official said.
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