Direct talks between Ukraine and Russia began in Abu Dhabi on 10 November under US mediation. France and other European representatives are there to coordinate with Ukrainian and US delegations, but they are not part of the planned Ukraine-US-Russia trilateral format.
Franceinfo reports that European representatives are travelling to the United Arab Emirates for separate meetings with the Ukrainian and US delegations. Before the next stage, a meeting includes the United Kingdom, France, Germany, Italy, NATO, the European Commission, and US envoys Steve Witkoff and Jared Kushner to align positions.
The Ukraine-US-Russia trilateral discussions are due to follow. Europeans are not listed in that format. France’s presence can therefore shape political preparation with Kyiv and Washington, but it does not make Europe a direct party to the three-way negotiation.
French Foreign Minister Jean-Noël Barrot told France 24 that France would be present and make Europe’s voice heard. His statement frames the European objective: to bring European positions into exchanges with Kyiv and Washington, while the announced structure leaves Europe outside the later trilateral talks.
The resumption follows more than eight months without direct talks. Franceinfo has not reported a substantive agreement from the discussions. For Paris and its partners, the immediate task is to turn coordination with Ukrainian and US counterparts into shared positions for the next phase.
Sources
- franceinfo Tous titres · Source date: 2026-11-10
- France 24 Tous titres · Source date: 2026-11-10
Independent editorial content. WUA is not affiliated with any political party. 2026-11-10