--- title: "Zelensky: Europe must be at negotiations with Russia despite Moscow's reluctance" description: "Volodymyr Zelenskyy stated that Europe must be present at negotiations with Russia to end the war, despite Moscow's reluctance, and urged the EU to determine its representative. Negotiations in Abu Dhabi may take place on November 6–10." date: 2026-10-28T21:04:41.944Z lang: en url: https://xab.info/en/posts/zelensky-europe-must-be-at-negotiations-with-russia tags: [ukraine, russia, europe, negotiations, zelensky, abu-dhabi, trump] author: "Alexander Buran, Andrey Kosynko" publisher: "XAB.info" --- # Zelensky: Europe must be at negotiations with Russia despite Moscow's reluctance ![Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy speaks at a press conference near a microphone against a dark background](https://xab.info/media/2026/10/28/zelensky-evropa-dolzhna-byt-na-peregovorah-s-rf/zelensky-evropa-dolzhna-byt-na-peregovorah-s-rf-1.webp) ## Key Points - Zelenskyy stated that Europe must be present at negotiations with Russia despite Moscow's reluctance. - The president emphasized that without Europe, security guarantees and the reconstruction of Ukraine are impossible. - Kyiv urged the EU to determine its representative for the negotiations and is ready to work on the list. - Negotiations in Abu Dhabi, according to Kyiv's expectations, may take place between November 6 and 10. Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy stated that European countries must be present at negotiations with Russia to end the war, even if Moscow does not want it. The head of state said this during a joint press conference with Dutch Prime Minister Rob Jetten, emphasizing that without Europe's participation, it is impossible either to provide security guarantees for Ukraine or to carry out the country's reconstruction. ### Kyiv's position: Europe must not be excluded According to Zelenskyy, Russia has consistently not supported Europe's presence in the negotiation process and preferred to see only the United States in it. "Of course, Russia, as I already told you, they have never really supported Europe's presence, they don't want it. They want only the US and even for them not to be in the middle between us. But we hope that one way or another we will find a way to involve Europe," the president stated. He added that European businesses will help Ukraine and "Europe will play a huge role." ### Who will represent the EU A separate topic of the press conference was the need for the European Union to determine its representative at the negotiations. Zelenskyy noted that more clarity is required from the European side "regarding who will represent Europe," and promised that Kyiv "will work on the list of those who will represent Europe." According to him, this is an important element of preparation for the negotiations. ### Negotiations in Abu Dhabi and their agenda The president emphasized the importance of Europe's presence at the upcoming negotiations in Abu Dhabi. He pointed out that Russia intends to bring new issues to the discussion, including "the security infrastructure in Europe." "How can one negotiate this in Europe without Europe? And who will you do it with, China? Well, that's interesting," Zelenskyy noted. Earlier, he reported that Ukraine is awaiting confirmation of the date of the trilateral meeting with the US and Russia on ending the war, which will likely take place between November 6 and 10; earlier statements mentioned the date of November 10. ### Context: Washington's position Against the backdrop of these statements, criticism from the American leadership persists. As reported, US President Donald Trump earlier criticized Zelenskyy, stating that, in his opinion, negotiations on behalf of Ukraine should perhaps be conducted by another person, and accused the Ukrainian leader of the frontline having barely changed. These statements underline that the positions of the parties on the format and participants of the negotiation process do not yet coincide. ## Fact-Check & Sources - [ЕС должен быть на переговорах с РФ: Зеленский призвал Европу определиться с представителем](https://www.rbc.ua/ukr/news/es-mae-buti-peregovorah-rf-zelenskiy-zaklikav-1793202102.html) - Primary source: direct quotes from Zelenskyy's press conference with R. Jetten, mention of Abu Dhabi and the November 6–10 timeframe. - [Трамп требует изменений в переговорах, во Франции вводят комендантский час, НАТО призвали ...](https://odessa-life.od.ua/news/tramp-trebuet-izmenenij-v-peregovorah-vo-franczii-vvodyat-komendantskij-chas-nato-prizvali-zaschitit-ukrainu-aviacziej) - Context: Trump's statements regarding changing the negotiator from Ukraine and criticism of Zelenskyy; used neutrally as Washington's position. ## FAQ ### Why does Zelenskyy insist on Europe's participation in the negotiations? According to him, without Europe it is impossible to provide security guarantees for Ukraine, carry out the country's reconstruction, or negotiate the "security infrastructure in Europe." ### When does Kyiv expect the negotiations to take place? Zelenskyy reported that Ukraine is awaiting confirmation of the date for the trilateral meeting with the US and Russia, which will likely take place between November 6 and 10; the date of November 10 was mentioned earlier. ### What issue did Zelenskyy raise regarding the EU? He urged the European Union to determine its representative at the negotiations and stated that Kyiv will work on a list of individuals representing Europe.