France presses for European role in Ukraine peace talks

France has called for Europe to have a role in any settlement between Ukraine and Russia, as the two countries gather for US-mediated talks in Abu Dhabi on 10 and 11 November.

French Foreign Minister Jean-Noël Barrot said on Sunday that European expectations and demands could not be ignored in discussions about the continent’s future. Speaking at a G7 meeting in Paris on Monday, he said Europeans were ready to discuss future security across the continent, but that “the first step is to end the war”.

The talks follow Russian strikes on Ukraine’s power network that disrupted supplies to Kyiv and other parts of the country.

On Tuesday, Barrot told Franceinfo that France, Germany and the UK would be in the meeting room in Abu Dhabi, Le Monde reported. But two US officials had told the Associated Press on Monday that European representatives would discuss security guarantees beforehand, rather than join the main talks.