European countries fear being sidelined in Russia–Ukraine peace talks but can’t agree on how to secure a seat at the table, FT reports

European countries fear they could be shut out of talks to end Russia’s war with Ukraine, but they cannot agree among themselves on how to secure a seat at the negotiating table, or who should represent their interests and how, the Financial Times reported.That anxiety has grown since Washington eased sanctions on Moscow and accused Kyiv of being unwilling to end the conflict. European countries worry that, ahead of talks among the United States, Russia, and Ukraine in Abu Dhabi, Washington and Moscow could reach a deal without them on issues that affect European interests, including security guarantees for Russia and restrictions on NATO.Driven by these concerns, Finnish President Alexander Stubb and Norwegian Prime Minister Jonas Gahr Støre spoke by phone with Vladimir Putin on October 27. The call drew criticism from other European countries because the Finnish and Norwegian leaders had not secured their allies’ support beforehand.According to the newspaper’s sources — European diplomats and officials — these uncoordinated attempts at contact, and the backlash they triggered, highlight the dilemma facing Europe: how best to convey its interests to Putin and Trump.“Before we can talk about choosing a representative [for Europe at the talks] we need a chair at the table. Putin doesn’t want to include us, he wants to talk to Trump and so to put [Ukrainian President Volodymyr] Zelensky in a corner,” one senior European diplomat said.The United States is still involving Europeans in the negotiating process to some extent, the Financial Times reported. Washington and Kyiv have been considering the so-called European troika — the United Kingdom, France, and Germany — as the most likely representatives of Europe at the upcoming talks, but diplomats say that option risks provoking objections from other European countries.Pentagon officials recently asked several NATO countries to tone down their statements about the Russian threat. The countries that received these requests include the Baltic states — Latvia, Lithuania, and Estonia — among others, Reuters reported.Moscow says there is no need for European involvement. Russian presidential aide Yuri Ushakov, for example, commented on the possible participation of European representatives in the new round of talks:If they buy plane tickets, fly to Abu Dhabi, and hang around there somewhere, then from time to time the same Ukrainians, or even the same Americans, might report something to them, consult with them, maybe take some points of view into account — in other words, the process there could become more complicated.What’s happening in Oleshky, where the war has caused a humanitarian catastropheMinesweeping of routes for the humanitarian mission has been completed.A humanitarian mission, led by the human rights ombudsmen of Russia and Ukraine, has departed for the city.The evacuation of residents and distribution of humanitarian aid have begun.The war in photographs. The aftermath of Russian attacks in Ukraine’s regions.At Meduza, we are committed to transparency about our use of artificial intelligence in the newsroom. The story you’re reading was written by one of our living, breathing journalists and translated from Russian using an AI model configured to follow our strict editorial standards. This translation process is the result of extensive testing and refinements to ensure our English-language coverage is timely and accurate. A Meduza editor reviews every draft before publication.If you find any errors in this translation, please contact us at [email protected].To read Meduza’s exclusive content in English, please subscribe to our newsletter.Meduza