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EU to send joint team to Abu Dhabi Ukraine‑Russia peace talks

newsNov 9, 2026331,257

The European Commission and the European Council will send a joint team of senior officials to the US-hosted trilateral Ukraine Russia peace talks in Abu Dhabi on 10 and 11 November, Commission President Ursula von der Leyen said after speaking with President Volodymyr Zelenskyy. The EU delegation will be led by Bjoern Seibert, von der Leyen's chief of cabinet, and Anna-Maria Boura, chief foreign policy advisor to European Council President António Costa. They will be joined at national security adviser level by the E3 countries France, Germany and the United Kingdom. NATO will be represented by Chief of Staff Geoffrey Van Leeuwen, a NATO official said. Both EU institutions indicated willingness to engage directly with the Russian delegation, though it is not yet clear if a face-to-face meeting will occur. US special envoy Jared Kushner said a multilateral format would be organised if progress is made, a proposal that prompted criticism from Zelenskyy and concern among European officials. The EU confirmation follows Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni's complaint about diplomatic disarray and will be discussed at an informal EU summit in Dublin immediately after the Abu Dhabi meeting.

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