European representatives will be present when Ukrainian, Russian and American officials hold talks in Abu Dhabi on Tuesday and Wednesday, according to France's foreign minister, as reported by Göteborgs-Posten.
Jean-Noël Barrot said Europe would be well represented at the meetings and that France would take part in the discussions in the Emirati capital. He made the remarks in an interview program broadcast jointly by RTL and Public Sénat, the newspaper reports.
The three-party talks are set to take place at official level. It is not clear from the reporting how the European presence will be arranged, and Barrot did not say who would represent France.
Why it matters
The format of the Abu Dhabi meeting has been a point of contention. According to Barrot, European capitals have spent recent weeks making clear to Washington that conversations about the future of the European continent cannot proceed without regard for what Europeans want.
The question of who sits at the table carries weight because the war in Ukraine has reshaped security arrangements across Europe, and any settlement would affect the continent directly. A meeting that excluded European governments would be politically difficult for them to accept.
Trump signals a broad deal
US President Donald Trump said earlier in the week that a major agreement was in the works on Russia's invasion of Ukraine, describing it as something that could cover "all of Europe," according to Göteborgs-Posten.
Moscow's leadership responded coolly, accusing the European parties of lacking a single unified voice or spokesperson.
The newspaper also reports that a series of meetings was held in Brussels during the week. Representatives of the EU, the United States, NATO and the World Bank, along with several larger European countries, discussed two tracks: rebuilding Ukraine in the event of a future peace, and how the country could obtain solid guarantees that it will not be attacked by Russia again.
Kushner sets out US positions
Jared Kushner, the US president's son-in-law and one of Washington's envoys, offered some details on social media about what the United States is putting on the negotiating table.
In a post, he stated that NATO will remain entirely central to Europe's collective defense. He also ruled out a veto of the kind Russia has demanded over Ukraine's military cooperation arrangements, according to the reporting.
Kremlin upgrades its delegation
In Moscow, Vladimir Putin convened his security council for deliberations on Friday. Afterwards, the Kremlin announced that its delegation was being upgraded somewhat.
Vladimir Medinsky, a close adviser to Putin, will travel to the Emirates together with, among others, two deputy foreign ministers and two military leaders from the general staff, Göteborgs-Posten reports.
The composition of the Russian team suggests Moscow is treating the Abu Dhabi session as more than a routine technical exchange, though the reporting gives no indication of what the upgraded delegation is expected to deliver.
What remains unresolved ahead of Tuesday is the shape of the European participation — which countries will send officials, at what level, and whether they will sit in the main sessions or alongside them. Barrot's comments confirm an intent to be present but leave the mechanics open.
Watch for confirmation of the European and French delegations before the talks open, and for whether the Brussels discussions on reconstruction and security guarantees feed into the Abu Dhabi agenda.
