Madar (International) - French Foreign Minister Jean-Noel Barrot said on Sunday, November 8, 2026, that France will take part in the US-mediated talks in Abu Dhabi on ending the war in Ukraine, scheduled for Tuesday and Wednesday, November 10 and 11, and that Europeans will be represented, FRANCE 24 reported, citing AFP.
Speaking to RTL radio, Barrot said past discussions had sometimes included Europeans and sometimes excluded them, adding: "this time they will participate". France would make sure Europe's voice is heard, he said.
The talks had been framed as trilateral, between Ukraine, Russia and the United States, at the level of officials rather than leaders, and the participants have not been named. Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky wants European allies involved, while Russia has suggested there would be no place for European representatives at the table.
US President Donald Trump has predicted a "very big" deal with Russia covering the war in Ukraine and "all of Europe", raising fears of a US pivot towards the Kremlin, according to the same source.
The talks were preceded by a meeting in Brussels on Thursday, November 5, of US, European, Ukrainian and NATO officials, which a NATO spokeswoman said "sought to advance a just and sustainable end to the war in Ukraine". US presidential envoy Jared Kushner, who joined by video link, said Washington is working on a broader European security architecture, will consult European partners on the sidelines of the Abu Dhabi talks and, if progress is made, move towards a broader multilateral format with direct European participation.
