Europe seeks seat at Abu Dhabi talks as Trump touts a big deal with Russia

Trump points to a wider deal

Donald Trump said on Thursday, 5 November, after closed talks with Kirill Dmitriev, a Kremlin envoy, that a big agreement was coming. He told reporters in the Oval Office that it could affect Ukraine and possibly all of Europe, and said the sides were very close to ending the war. He gave no details of what had been discussed. The same day, German Chancellor Friedrich Merz spoke by phone with Trump about the war and the planned talks, according to a government spokesman cited by Reuters, who said Merz is involved in the US president's consultations.

Kushner lays out five security goals

Jared Kushner, the US special envoy, met representatives of Ukraine, European countries and NATO in Brussels on Thursday, 5 November. The same day he posted a long message on X listing five objectives for a durable European security framework: regular security consultations, reliable crisis communication channels, greater military transparency, mutual measures to reduce escalation risk, and a lasting long-term framework. He wrote that any arrangement must fully respect sovereignty and territorial integrity, that no country would hold a veto over another's sovereign choices, and that NATO would remain central to collective defence. Kushner also wrote that Europe and Russia have struggled for 30 years to build a balanced security framework, and that the ideas are still evolving.

Europe seeks a role at the table

Johann Wadephul, Germany's foreign minister, flew to Warsaw on Friday, 6 November, for a meeting of the Council of the Baltic Sea States. Before departing he said Europe had to be an integral part of the process that shapes a settlement for Ukraine.

“The stakes are war or peace: the future of our coexistence in Europe is being decided in Ukraine.”

Wadephul added that Ukraine's future cannot be decided without Ukraine, and that Europeans had not been invited to the trilateral talks planned for 10-11 November in Abu Dhabi. He pointed to threats beyond the front line, including unexplained bomb threats against aircraft in Europe, cyberattacks on grocery stores and drone incidents on land and at sea. He also said shadow fleet tankers earn oil revenue for the Russian war effort and keep damaging infrastructure in the Baltic Sea.

Kremlin and European options

Dmitry Peskov, the Kremlin spokesman, said on Friday, 6 November, that European states should take part in future talks on security and on ending the war, but that Russia had received no concrete European proposals. He accused Europe of long indecision and of failing to agree who would speak for it at the table. Politico reported in late October that European states were weighing a single representative for direct talks with Vladimir Putin, with Alexander Stubb, Antonio Costa, Ursula von der Leyen and Kaja Kallas named as possible candidates. Last week Yuri Ushakov, a Kremlin foreign policy adviser, said no European states were planned for Abu Dhabi and mocked that they could attend if they bought tickets. Sergey Lavrov, the Russian foreign minister, said there were no prospects for ending the war and that the conflict was heading toward escalation.

Ukraine pushes for Europe and EU accession

Volodymyr Zelensky met European Council president Antonio Costa in Madrid on Thursday, 5 November, on the sidelines of the two-day Ibero-American Summit, which opened on Wednesday, 4 November. Zelensky said Ukraine has always backed Europe sitting at the negotiating table, and that security guarantees and reconstruction cannot be discussed without European representatives. On Wednesday, 4 November, he held a call of about 90 minutes with Steve Witkoff and Jared Kushner to prepare the talks. Ukraine wants to close all EU negotiating clusters by the end of 2026 and begin closing chapters in 2027. Working-level talks between Ukraine and Russia, mediated by the United States, are scheduled for 10-11 November in Abu Dhabi.