The European Union will send senior representatives from the European Commission and the European Council to peace negotiations involving Ukraine, Russia and the United States, scheduled to begin Tuesday in Abu Dhabi, as European leaders seek a greater role in shaping efforts to end the war in Ukraine.
European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen confirmed the EU’s participation in a post on X, saying the bloc would be represented at the discussions.
“The EU will be present alongside our partners,” von der Leyen wrote, confirming that European representatives would attend the talks.
The EU delegation will include Bjoern Seibert, chief of staff to von der Leyen, representing the European Commission, and Anna-Maria Boura, chief foreign policy adviser to European Council President António Costa, according to two EU officials.
National security advisers from France, Germany and the United Kingdom are also expected to participate, reflecting growing European efforts to ensure that the continent has a voice in negotiations over a conflict with significant consequences for its security and political future.
Their attendance was confirmed by a German government official and two EU diplomats familiar with the preparations.
However, uncertainty remains over whether European representatives will participate directly in the negotiating room or remain outside the main discussions.
A German official said the format of the negotiations would “be determined as the discussions progress,” suggesting that the precise arrangements for European involvement had not yet been finalized.
An EU official, speaking on condition of anonymity because of the sensitivity of the diplomatic preparations, said European representatives would not be inside the room during the negotiations.
The uncertainty highlights continuing disagreements within Europe over how the EU and its member states should be represented in diplomatic efforts involving Moscow, Kyiv and Washington.
European leaders have increasingly expressed concern that negotiations over Ukraine’s future could advance without sufficient European participation, particularly given the direct implications of any potential settlement for European security, defence policy and relations with Russia.
The question of European representation has also exposed differences among EU governments over the appropriate diplomatic format for engaging with Moscow.
Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni raised concerns last week in a letter to European Council President António Costa, criticizing changes to the format of negotiations with Russia.
Meloni’s intervention reflected broader concerns among European governments about maintaining a coordinated European position and ensuring that the EU’s institutional leadership is involved in discussions concerning the continent’s security.
Her position received support from Polish Foreign Minister Radosław Sikorski, who backed a broader negotiating arrangement that would include representatives of EU institutions in peace discussions.
The participation of representatives from the Commission and Council in Abu Dhabi appears to be an effort to address some of those concerns, although it remains unclear how much influence they will have over the negotiations themselves.
The talks bring together representatives of Ukraine, Russia and the United States at a time when diplomatic efforts to resolve the conflict remain highly sensitive.
For the European Union, the stakes extend beyond the immediate question of ending the fighting. Any potential agreement could have far-reaching implications for Ukraine’s territorial integrity, European security arrangements, sanctions against Russia and the future of the continent’s relationship with Moscow.
European governments have consistently argued that Ukraine’s future cannot be determined without Ukrainian participation. They have also stressed that European security interests must be considered in any settlement.
The presence of senior advisers from France, Germany and the United Kingdom, alongside representatives of EU institutions, signals an effort by major European powers to maintain direct diplomatic engagement as the negotiations unfold.
Nevertheless, whether European officials will be able to influence the discussions from inside or outside the negotiating room remains an important question.
The Abu Dhabi meeting could therefore become an early test of Europe’s ability to coordinate its diplomatic position and secure a meaningful role in negotiations that could shape the future of the war in Ukraine and the wider European security order.
