In brief

• France will take part in the Abu Dhabi talks on Ukraine, scheduled for November 10 and 11 under US mediation.
• Foreign Minister Jean-Noël Barrot has not said who will represent France.
• Moscow's position on European participation has shifted in recent weeks.

Context of the Abu Dhabi round

US envoy Steve Witkoff announced the date and venue on November 3 (Європа буде представлена на переговорах України, США та РФ в Абу-Дабі, – глава МЗС Франції Барро – Espreso) (Франція долучиться до переговорів України, США та Росії в Абу-Дабі – міністр – Українська правда). Vladimir Medinsky, an aide to Vladimir Putin, will lead the Russian delegation, according to Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov (На трехсторонних переговорах в Абу-Даби будет представлена и Европа — МИД Франции – NV) (Путін зробив заяву про майбутні переговори в Абу-Дабі і сформував делегацію: хто у списку – TSN). Kyrylo Budanov, head of the Presidential Office, is expected to lead the Ukrainian side (Переговори України, США та Росії в Абу-Дабі: одна з країн Європи заявила про свою участь – TSN).

Previous meeting without progress

The last meeting of this kind, held between Russian, Ukrainian and American delegations in mid-February in Geneva, produced no progress toward ending the war.

Moscow's shifting stance on Europe

In late October, Kremlin aide Yuri Ushakov said European representatives would not be invited to the trilateral table. On November 1 he suggested Europeans might be present in the UAE, though not directly at the negotiating table.

France's position

Speaking to RTL radio on Sunday, Barrot said France would be in Abu Dhabi for the discussions and that Europeans would be properly represented (France to join Ukraine talks in Abu Dhabi next week – Investing.com) (Europe will take part in US-mediated Ukraine talks in Abu Dhabi, French FM says – France 24). He said he could not yet say who would lead the French side. According to Barrot, European governments had recently told the American mediator that no discussion about the continent's future can ignore their expectations and demands. Europe, as the party most directly affected by the war, should have its voice heard, he argued (Франція візьме участь у переговорах України, США та Росії в Абу-Дабі – Європейська правда).