European countries insist that Russia must first end the war in Ukraine before discussions can begin on Moscow’s vision for Europe’s security. The position could deepen disagreements with the United States, whose administration wants the issue of Europe’s security architecture to be included in negotiations with Moscow, Bloomberg reported, citing sources familiar with the talks.
European officials believe that Russia’s demands from the period before the full-scale invasion of Ukraine remain unacceptable. They include limiting NATO’s presence in Eastern Europe. According to the European position, there is no logic in discussing new security rules while Russia continues the war and violates existing agreements.
The Abu Dhabi Talks
Russian, Ukrainian and American representatives are due to meet on November 10 and 11 in Abu Dhabi. The talks will mark the first resumption of trilateral negotiations since February 2026, according to information cited by Bloomberg.
European countries fear that discussing broad guarantees for Russia’s security before hostilities end could give Moscow an opportunity to set conditions while continuing its military operation against Ukraine. At the same time, Washington views talks on Europe’s security as part of a broader diplomatic framework for ending the war.
Eastern Europe Insists It Must Not Be Bypassed
Poland warned its European partners that the security of Eastern European countries cannot be excluded from the negotiations. “The last thing we want is for Western Europe to talk to Russia over the heads of Eastern Europeans,” Polish Foreign Minister Radosław Sikorski told journalists in Warsaw, as quoted by Euronews.
Sikorski pointed out that Poland, the Baltic states, Finland and Norway are among the countries directly exposed to the consequences of Russia’s war and must participate in the discussions. Polish Prime Minister Donald Tusk also called for caution regarding Vladimir Putin’s intentions and warned that during the winter the Russian president may have fewer incentives to reach an agreement.
France, Germany and the United Kingdom, together with the European Commission and NATO, are ready to join multilateral talks following the meeting in Abu Dhabi. Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni, however, insists that the European Union should appoint a single representative to lead talks with Putin. European Council President António Costa said the issue would be discussed at the meeting of European leaders on November 14 in Dublin.
The disagreements also concern the possible restoration of Russian gas exports to Europe. Polish Energy Minister Miłosz Motyka described such an idea as “absurd” and said that returning to Russian gas would once again make Europe vulnerable to pressure from Moscow.
Sources: bloomberg.com, euronews.com, uk.investing.com