France Says Europe Will Be Represented at Abu Dhabi Ukraine Talks

French Foreign Minister Jean-Noël Barrot said on November 8 that France would participate in talks on Ukraine in Abu Dhabi and that Europeans would be represented. The discussions involving Ukrainian, Russian and U.S. envoys are scheduled for November 10 and 11. Barrot did not identify who would represent France. "The Europeans will be well represented and France will be in Abu Dhabi to participate in these discussions," Barrot said. He said Europeans had told the U.S. mediator in recent weeks that negotiations concerning the continent's future must take their expectations and requirements into account. He added that France would make Europe's voice heard, calling Europe the party most directly concerned. In an interview excerpt published on his official channel on November 7, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky outlined the sequence he wanted for negotiations. He said the first discussion should address ending Russia's war against Ukraine, followed by Ukraine's own security arrangements and guarantees. He said a wider security framework between Europe or the European Union and Russia should be considered only afterward, depending on the answers to those questions. He warned against beginning with that broader framework. U.S. special envoy Steve Witkoff announced the meeting on November 2, saying Washington would mediate working-level negotiations between Ukraine and Russia in Abu Dhabi. His stated agenda included postwar security arrangements, de-escalation, humanitarian efforts and steps toward peace. The November 10 and 11 sessions remain a scheduled round of negotiations.