Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy has voiced hope that upcoming talks in Abu Dhabi, mediated by the United States, will lead to a meeting of leaders that also includes Russian President Vladimir Putin. He made the remarks in Berlin on Tuesday, standing alongside German Chancellor Friedrich Merz.
Zelenskyy said the adviser-level discussions, scheduled for November 10 and 11, form part of a wider diplomatic effort to bring the war to an end. He told reporters he was counting on this channel and other diplomatic steps to open the way to a trilateral format involving the leaders themselves.
Merz doubts Russia is ready to negotiate seriously
Asked about the Abu Dhabi round, Merz said it was important for Russia to engage seriously and at last in talks on a ceasefire and a later peace deal. He added that he did not yet see that happening.
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Zelenskyy’s trip to Berlin had not been announced in advance, for security reasons. After landing, he wrote on X that diplomatic coordination, stronger air defences and support for Ukraine’s energy sector would be the main priorities.
Delegations and agenda for the Abu Dhabi round
US special envoy Steve Witkoff announced the new round of talks between Russia, Ukraine and the United States on Monday. He said the discussions would concentrate on post-war security arrangements, de-escalation, humanitarian efforts and the next steps toward peace.
The Kremlin spokesman, Dmitry Peskov, confirmed that a Russian delegation would take part. As on earlier occasions, it will be led by former Culture Minister Vladimir Medinsky, the state news agency TASS reported.
The preparations follow one of the most notable instances of cooperation between the warring sides since Russia launched its full-scale invasion in February 2022. Last week, human rights ombudsmen from Russia and Ukraine oversaw a local ceasefire in the occupied Ukrainian city of Oleshky, which allowed residents to be evacuated and aid to be delivered. US First Lady Melania Trump brokered that mission.
Putin and Zelenskyy have had no direct contact since the invasion began. Their representatives have held only a handful of rounds of talks in that time.
European concerns over exclusion and funding
‘s Dominic Kane, reporting from Berlin, said Zelenskyy and Merz both conveyed that the Abu Dhabi meeting was a step forward, with a positive tone. Kane said one journalist had pressed a sharp question: if Europe and Ukraine were closely aligned, why were European countries not going to be present at the Abu Dhabi talks? He said there was little direct answer to that, and described it as a clear and possibly thorny issue for European governments.
European governments have insisted on taking part in the negotiations, but they are unlikely to sit at the table in Abu Dhabi. Instead, US envoys are due to meet representatives from Germany, France, the United Kingdom, NATO and the European Union in Brussels this week. The agenda there includes security guarantees for Ukraine and Europe’s post-war security structure.
Zelenskyy has said Ukraine needs an additional 70 billion euros ($77.5bn) from European countries next year. Kane said successive German governments had pledged full support to Kyiv, financing its defence against Russian attacks and supplying weapons and ammunition. He added that Merz is aware that the financial burden of that support has become a real political problem, as the economies of Germany and other European countries face strain.
Kane also said that the cost of living has become a serious concern for many German voters. He noted that parties opposed to funding Ukraine, including the far-right Alternative for Germany (AfD) and the left-wing Die Linke, were doing well in polls and elections.
Further meetings are on the calendar. US President Donald Trump, Chinese President Xi Jinping and Putin may hold three-way talks on the sidelines of the Asia Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC) summit in Shenzhen, China, on November 18 and 19. Around the same time, the so-called Coalition of the Willing, a group of about 35 countries backing Ukraine, is due to meet in Berlin. The Group of 20 (G20) summit follows in Florida from December 13 to 15, although it remains unclear whether Putin will attend, which would be his first appearance at such a summit since the invasion.
