Follow-up: French Foreign Minister Says Europeans Will Join Ukraine Talks in Abu Dhabi, France Confirmed to Attend
PARIS - French Minister for Europe and Foreign Affairs Jean-Noël Barrot said on Sunday, November 8, that Europeans will participate in next week's talks on Ukraine in Abu Dhabi, and that France will definitely attend. The talks had previously been presented publicly as a trilateral meeting of the United States, Ukraine and Russia, and whether Europe would take part had been a central question.
According to Reuters, Barrot told French radio station RTL: "The Europeans will be well represented; France will be in Abu Dhabi to take part in these discussions." He added: "I can't tell you yet who will be representing France on this occasion, but France will certainly be there." Barrot said France would be there to make sure Europe's voice is heard. U.S., European, Ukrainian and NATO officials met in Brussels on Thursday ahead of the Abu Dhabi talks, according to reports.
The meeting is convened by the United States. U.S. special envoy Steve Witkoff said earlier this week that Washington would bring delegations from Ukraine and Russia together in Abu Dhabi on November 10-11 to discuss ending Moscow's war against Ukraine, post-war security agreements and de-escalation. Russia has told media its delegation will include senior diplomats and military officials. The form of Europe's participation has not yet been announced.
GSM previously reported that Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy said on November 6 he hoped the Abu Dhabi talks would pave the way for a trilateral summit, with security guarantees and an energy ceasefire as core issues, and that Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni wrote to the EU the same day arguing the Ukraine talks need a single European representative or Europe risks being left on the sidelines. Barrot's remarks are the first confirmation from the European side that it will take part in the talks.
Related: Meloni Writes to EU: Ukraine Talks Need a Single European Representative
(Source: France's Ministry for Europe and Foreign Affairs)
Source: France's Ministry for Europe and Foreign Affairs
Published by GSM · USA (original Chinese edition)
Photo: 图：阿布扎比滨海大道天际线（资料图）。摄影：Aravind Sivaraj／Wikimedia Commons，CC BY-SA 3.0。 / Abu Dhabi Corniche skyline (file photo). Photo by Aravind Sivaraj via Wikimedia Commons, CC BY-SA 3.0.
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