Umerov: Meetings With European Officials in Abu Dhabi to Be Held Separately From Trilateral Talks

Rustem Umerov, head of Ukraine's Foreign Intelligence Service, said on Monday, 9 November, on his Telegram channel that upcoming talks in Abu Dhabi, the capital of the United Arab Emirates, on ending the war in Ukraine will take place in a trilateral format, with representatives of the US, Ukraine and Russia. Meetings with European officials will be held separately, which matters for how much of a role Europe can play in the peace process.

According to Umerov, the Ukrainian delegation has already left for Abu Dhabi. Representatives of the United Kingdom, France, Germany and Italy, as well as of NATO and the European Commission, will also be there in these days. Still, the talks on Tuesday and Wednesday will be held in the trilateral format, Umerov stressed.

Coordination with partners

"We will hold separate coordination meetings with our European partners. It is important for us to maintain close coordination with all our key partners, ensure alignment of views and a shared understanding of the next steps in the negotiation process," Umerov wrote.

Earlier statements

Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov had earlier said that Europeans would not take part in the talks. French Foreign Minister Jean-Noël Barrot, for his part, said on Sunday that Europe would be properly represented at the upcoming talks in Abu Dhabi. In the talks with Moscow and Kyiv, the US will take part as a mediator.

The talks between the US, Ukrainian and Russian delegations in Abu Dhabi are the first meeting of this kind since mid-February.