France Joins U.S.-Mediated Russia-Ukraine Peace Talks in Abu Dhabi

European officials, led by France, will participate in U.S.-mediated peace talks between Russia and Ukraine scheduled for November 10-11 in Abu Dhabi. French Foreign Minister Jean-Noël Barrot announced the participation to ensure Europe's voice is heard, contradicting earlier claims by Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov that the meetings would be limited to a trilateral format between Washington, Moscow, and Kyiv.

Donald Trump is mediating the talks, which are the first since February and aim to address humanitarian issues, de-escalation, and postwar security. Trump suggested a potential agreement could involve all of Europe, a prospect that Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy described as potentially dangerous, comparing the situation to the 1945 Yalta conference.

Russia has deployed a senior delegation including military intelligence chief Igor Kostyukov, but deep divisions persist over NATO membership and territorial concessions. The diplomatic push continues despite ongoing violence, including a Russian guided-bomb strike in Komyshuvakha that killed at least 55 people and a barrage of 36 ballistic missiles targeting Kyiv on the eve of the summit.