Kremlin says Abu Dhabi talks will start as Russia-US-Ukraine only and an EU envoy's role 'depends' on Europe's position, as five European leaders are reported as possible negotiators

Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov said on Friday 23 October that talks on Ukraine planned in Abu Dhabi for the first half of November “will be in a trilateral format”, between Russia, the United States and Ukraine. “Nothing can be ruled out a priori,” he said when asked whether Europeans could take part, according to RIA Novosti (our translation). He said European security architecture could not be discussed without Europeans, but that the talks would start in the three-way format.

Asked how the Kremlin would view an EU special envoy in the peace process, Peskov said: “It depends on the position from which the Europeans could take part.” Asked about comparisons between a possible meeting of Vladimir Putin, Donald Trump and Xi Jinping and the Second World War “Big Three”, he said that “to say that someone will gather and decide the fates of the whole world” did not match Putin’s position.

The Telegraph reported, citing diplomatic sources, that Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni, Finnish President Alexander Stubb, Czech President Petr Pavel, Danish Prime Minister Mette Frederiksen and Norwegian Prime Minister Jonas Gahr Støre are being considered as possible European negotiators with Putin, the Kyiv Post reported. Pavel said Europe needs someone, or a group, authorised to speak for it, adding: “President Putin disregards the European Union as an authority.” No negotiator has been agreed.

Peskov also said the first tanker of Russian diesel had sailed for buyers in the United States under the import arrangement announced by Trump, and that “regular supplies will continue”, the Associated Press reported. Ship-tracking firm Kpler said the vessel was signalling New York as its destination, with arrival on 7 November.