European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen confirmed that the European Union will take part in talks on Ukraine expected to be held this week in Abu Dhabi. The announcement followed a phone call with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky.
In a statement after the call, von der Leyen said she and Zelensky had discussed diplomatic efforts to achieve peace and the planned meetings in the United Arab Emirates. She said the EU would be in Abu Dhabi alongside its partners and that she looked forward to meeting the Ukrainian president in Dublin later this week, as well as holding talks with other leaders about the next steps toward peace.
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European Commission spokesperson Paola Pinho said at today’s press conference that the EU aims to speak with a united voice and defend its interests in the talks, as developments in Ukraine directly affect Europe’s security. According to Pinho, one position to be presented in Abu Dhabi is that the question of Europe’s security architecture should be discussed after the war has ended.
Pinho did not say who would represent the EU at the meeting. However, according to Euronews, the joint European Commission and European Council delegation will be led by Björn Seibert, Ursula von der Leyen’s chief of staff, and Anna-Maria Boura, the chief foreign policy adviser to European Council President António Costa.
European leaders will also discuss efforts to bring peace to Ukraine. Pinho said those efforts would be central to the informal European Council meeting on November 13 in Dublin, as well as to a meeting held as part of the Berlin Forum. The talks are expected to focus on diplomacy, strengthening support for Ukraine and financing it.
Meanwhile, von der Leyen announced that she has begun a visit to Romania and Bulgaria. She warned that security threats in the Black Sea are escalating and that attacks claiming the lives of innocent people have increased.
The European Commission president stressed the need to restore and guarantee freedom of navigation in the Black Sea. She also reaffirmed her support for Zelensky’s call for a ceasefire covering food and energy infrastructure.
Describing the humanitarian situation in Ukraine as dire, Pinho accused Russia of deliberately attacking infrastructure on which the country depends during the winter months. She said the EU would not allow Russia to force Ukraine to surrender through the cold and added that efforts were being mobilized to ensure the continuity of basic services, including electricity, heating and water.
