France confirms it will join Ukraine peace talks in Abu Dhabi starting Tuesday

French Foreign Minister Jean-Noël Barrot confirmed that European representatives will participate in Ukraine-Russia peace negotiations opening in Abu Dhabi on Tuesday, saying France would be present "to give voice to Europe, which is primarily affected."

Barrot told French radio station RTL that "the Europeans will be well represented" and that France would take part in these talks. He declined to identify who would represent France at the meeting, saying only that he could not yet say who would do so.

Barrot acknowledged that in the past similar talks had taken place "sometimes with the Europeans, sometimes without the Europeans," but said: "This time they will participate."

The Abu Dhabi talks, scheduled for Tuesday and Wednesday, bring together Russian and Ukrainian negotiators under US mediation and constitute the first meeting in this format since February. US President Donald Trump announced a "very big" deal with Russia following a meeting with an adviser to President Vladimir Putin last Thursday, suggesting it could affect not only Ukraine but possibly "all of Europe."

A German government spokesman said on Friday that negotiations on European security and Ukraine peace conducted without European participation were "not constructive." EU foreign policy chief Kaja Kallas stated the same day that a peace deal must not be concluded without EU member states, while a European Commission spokeswoman emphasised it was "a matter for the European Union" to decide on issues affecting its security. Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni had on Thursday called for a unified EU negotiating representation.

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy accused Moscow of increasing pressure ahead of the Abu Dhabi talks through attacks that left hundreds of thousands of people without electricity in Ukraine.