Zelenskyy: Europe Must Appoint Representative for Peace Talks by End of November

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy stated at a briefing that Kyiv aims to involve representatives of European countries in negotiations to end the war, and that by the end of November it will be known who exactly receives the negotiating mandate from the continent. This is reported by RBC-Ukraine, citing the head of state's statement transmitted by the President's Office.

Europe's Role in the Negotiation Process

According to Zelenskyy, Europe's participation in the negotiations to end the Russian war against Ukraine is "very important," as the conflict is unfolding directly on European territory. "We wanted to involve Europe, the Europeans, because the war is in Europe. And eventually, we will see who will provide security guarantees and what business will come for reconstruction. So that is why Europe's place is absolutely very important. That is why we worked on it," the president emphasized. He added that Europe's role "closer to January will be more and more important.">

Dialogue, Not a Unilateral Decision

Zelenskyy stressed that it is fundamentally important for Ukraine that Europe engages in direct dialogue with Kyiv regarding who will represent the continent at the peace talks. "It is better that they talk to us, conduct a dialogue, rather than just wait for us to accept who will represent Europe," he noted. At the same time, the president acknowledged that "Europeans are not one leader, not one country," and stated that Kyiv agrees with this.

Timeline and Mandate Format

The president set a specific deadline: the decision on who will represent Europe in the negotiations must be made no later than the end of November. "We need to make a decision on who will represent Europe in the negotiations, and it will be better because they will receive a mandate for negotiations—a mandate from all of Europe," Zelenskyy declared. According to him, the mandate can be issued to "one person, two, three, or a group of individuals," and every voice in this process will be "very important and decisive." Zelenskyy expressed hope that the issue will be resolved "no later than the end of November or, even better, in Germany on November 19."

Context: Washington's Pressure and Abu Dhabi Talks

Earlier, RBC-Ukraine reported that US President Donald Trump's envoys are exerting pressure on Russia for Europe to join the next round of peace talks. According to the publication, Washington is interested in ensuring that the meeting in Abu Dhabi is the last one without European participation. In the Abu Dhabi talks themselves, which are taking place on November 10–11, NATO will be represented by Jeffrey van Leuven, Director of the Office of the Secretary General of the Alliance. France has already confirmed its participation in the meeting. Zelenskyy also noted that unity in NATO and the EU is extremely important for Ukraine, as well as the existence of a "Coalition of the Willing," which includes not only European countries.