European Partners Join Ukraine And US For Abu Dhabi Coordination

European partners, Ukraine and the United States met in Abu Dhabi on 10th November 2026 to coordinate efforts to end the war in Ukraine, according to a European Commission statement. The meeting focused on security guarantees for Ukraine ahead of upcoming trilateral discussions with Russia.

The statement names the EU, France, Germany, Italy, the United Kingdom, Ukraine, the United States and NATO. According to the statement, participants called for credible security guarantees for Ukraine and said a future arrangement should uphold sovereignty, the integrity of its territory and the freedom to make its own decisions.

The statement sets out negotiating aims, without announcing a settlement or specifying the commitments each country would make under a security guarantee.

The format also matters. In remarks in Paris on 9th November, US Secretary of State Marco Rubio said he believed the national security advisers of Germany, the UK and France were in Abu Dhabi. He said he did not believe they were at the trilateral negotiating table at that moment, while stressing that they had been involved in the process.

Rubio said Washington had not opposed direct European discussions with Russia, attributing the lack of such talks to Russia's position. That is the US account of the obstacle, rather than a Russian explanation.

The Commission's statement says the partners intend to keep working together towards broader discussions involving European participants.

The meeting also covered security arrangements after the war. Participants called for mechanisms to manage risks and prevent escalation, and reaffirmed a central role for a strong NATO in collective defence across Europe and North America.

Rubio said Washington's role was to facilitate discussions and propose ideas, while an agreement ultimately required the combatants' consent.