Europeans told to ‘sit there in the hotel’ during Ukraine-Russia talks in Abu Dhabi

European leaders are fighting for a seat at the peace talks in Abu Dhabi as the Russian mission tells them to wait in the hotel lobby.A European delegation led by Bjoern Seibert, chief of cabinet for the European Commission, arrived in the United Arab Emirates this week with the intention of being active participants alongside the United States and Ukraine. Despite support for their inclusion by their allies, Russia’s diplomatic corps has blocked their participation from the main set of discussions.“As for the participation of the Europeans, well, they flew to Abu Dhabi. Let them sit there in the hotel,” Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov told reporters at a Moscow press conference on Tuesday. Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov holds a news conference following the joint meeting of the Collective Security Treaty Organization (CSTO) Council of Foreign Ministers, Council of Ministers of Defence and Committee of Secretaries of Security Councils in Moscow, Tuesday, Nov. 10, 2026. (AP Photo/Pavel Bednyakov) U.S. special envoys Steve Witkoff and Jared Kushner are leading the latest attempt to end the Russian invasion of Ukraine, with meetings set to run through Wednesday.European officials like French foreign minister Jean-Noel Barrot assured reporters this week that the continent would be “well-represented” in the UAE. While a team of officials from countries like Germany, Italy, the United Kingdom, and France is on the ground, their meetings with allies have been relegated to the sidelines.The European Union released a boilerplate statement on Tuesday affirming that it met with its Ukrainian and American counterparts “ahead of the upcoming trilateral discussions” to reiterate shared objectives.Lavrov, who is in Moscow rather than Abu Dhabi, explained that the Kremlin did not consider European proposals on ending the conflict worth entertaining.“Everything we hear now from Brussels and other EU capitals amounts to a demand for an immediate ceasefire,” Lavrov said. “Europe’s plan is very simple, and they do not hide it. As soon as there is a ceasefire, they bring ‘stabilization forces’ onto the territory controlled by the Kyiv regime.”President Donald Trump has characterized this week’s meeting as strategically unique, proposing a new framework for security that would overlap NATO and Russian interests, though the Kremlin is skeptical.A U.S. official told American reporters on Monday that the proposal would have Moscow provide “Article Four and an Article Five-like security guarantee to Ukraine, along with NATO providing the same.” This appears to be part of a larger framework that would encompass both Russian and European spheres of influence.The Europeans have been less than enthusiastic about Trump’s stated goals. EU foreign policy chief Kaja Kallas said in Warsaw on Friday that “we already have a European security architecture in place.”“The problem remains that Russia keeps breaking the treaties that underpin it,” she continued. “NATO posed no threat to Russia in 2021, and it poses no threat to Russia at the moment. Putin does not have a veto over European security.”United States envoy Jared Kushner, center left, speaks during the coordination meeting before the trilateral talks between Russia and Ukraine mediated by the US in Abu Dhabi, United Arab Emirates, Tuesday, Nov. 10, 2026. (AP Photo/Altaf Qadri,Pool) A spokeswoman for the European Commission referenced the “statements made by President Trump” at a press conference in Brussels the same day, reiterating doubts about the efficacy of making security deals with their most prominent military threat.It is this inflexibility that seems to be driving Russia to keep the door closed for Brussels in Abu Dhabi, with Larov emphasizing that the talks are focused on “discussing the parameters of the future security architecture of Ukraine, Russia and our entire region — one could say, European security.”TRUMP ADMINISTRATION TO PUSH RUSSIA TO ACCEPT NATO-LIKE SECURITY GUARANTEES FOR UKRAINE FROM US“With regard to the Trump administration, we have no illusions, I want to say this right away,” the Russian foreign minister said. “But, having no illusions and understanding the deep contradictions over how international politics should develop further, of course it is always better to talk.”The first round of talks concluded Tuesday afternoon without any further public announcements.