Europe must be present at every stage of genuine diplomacy with Russia, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky said against the backdrop of talks between Ukraine, Russia and the United States in Abu Dhabi. According to him, European participation is necessary when discussing future security guarantees and the conditions for ending the war.
“Ukraine’s priority is for the war to end as soon as possible with a dignified peace. We believe that Europe must be represented at every stage of genuine diplomacy,” Zelensky said, quoted by The Associated Press.
Kyiv wants a European representative by the end of November
The Ukrainian president called on European countries to appoint, by the end of November, a single representative or a group of representatives to speak on behalf of Europe in negotiations with Russia and the United States. According to Zelensky, the decision must be made as soon as possible so that the European position can be included in the next stages of the diplomatic process.
Zelensky placed particular emphasis on European involvement in matters concerning security, the reconstruction of Ukraine and the future order in Europe. Kyiv insists that decisions on European security must not be made without the participation of the countries that will have to fulfill the commitments arising from them.
Talks in Abu Dhabi lasted two days
Delegations from Russia, Ukraine and the United States held talks in Abu Dhabi on November 10 and 11. The first day lasted around four hours but did not produce any announced significant breakthrough on the main points of disagreement. The Ukrainian side described the talks as constructive and substantive.
As part of the meetings, US envoys Steve Witkoff and Jared Kushner held separate talks with representatives of European countries, NATO and the European Union. Those invited included the United Kingdom, France, Germany and Italy.
According to The Associated Press, Russia had objected to the direct participation of European representatives in the trilateral format, while allowing for the possibility that they could join at a later stage. The US representatives, however, said that Europe must be represented at all stages of genuine diplomacy and that Russia’s de-escalation proposals must also be acceptable to European countries.
Prisoner exchange agreed
At the end of the talks, Russia and Ukraine agreed on a major prisoner exchange. This was one of the concrete results of the meetings, which did not lead to a comprehensive agreement to end the war.
The next diplomatic focus is linked to the appointment of a European representative and preparations for future talks on ending the hostilities, Ukraine’s security guarantees and the broader security architecture in Europe.
Sources: apnews.com, ukrinform.net, theprint.in