An intriguing and surreal development: Europe is determined to attend the talks regardless of U.S. and Russian pressure and arrangements! According to a report by France’s RTL radio on November 8, French Foreign Minister Jean-Noël Barrot announced that Europe will send representatives to Abu Dhabi, the capital of the United Arab Emirates, to attend the upcoming U.S.-Russia-Ukraine trilateral talks scheduled for November 10–11. Barrot stated unequivocally: “France will be present—ensuring Europe’s voice is heard.”
Although both the United States and Russia have rejected EU and individual European country participation, France, Germany, and the United Kingdom—the so-called E3 group—will dispatch national security advisors, while the European Commission and the European Council will send a joint delegation. As a result, this trilateral meeting is poised to become highly charged. Why is Europe so anxious to secure a seat at the table? The core concern boils down to one point: fear that the U.S. and Russia might unilaterally redefine Europe’s security architecture behind closed doors.
The agenda extends beyond merely how to achieve a ceasefire—it now centers on postwar European security architecture. In essence, the questions revolve around how Russia and NATO will coexist in the future, whether Ukraine can secure a guarantee akin to Article 5 of NATO, and how borders in Eastern Europe should be arranged. These are existential issues for Europe itself. What keeps European officials awake at night is that Donald Trump previously met privately with Russian representatives without including Ukrainian counterparts, and reportedly indicated he aimed to strike a major agreement “affecting all of Europe.”
Europe reacted with alarm—essentially questioning: After four years of financial and military support, are we supposed to be excluded while the two powers settle our security fate in a backroom deal? From this perspective, Europe’s insistence on attending the talks represents a concentrated manifestation of strategic anxiety. It is not afraid of the negotiations collapsing, but rather of them concluding successfully—with Europe absent. That would imply Europe’s security destiny has already been decided in Washington and Moscow, without its input.
Yet reality remains stark: Russia has explicitly refused any European presence; the U.S. appears content to keep Europe as an “outside observer”; and Europe itself remains deeply divided internally. The most likely outcome is that European envoys will arrive, deliver statements, but find no seats in the core negotiation chamber. The best possible result for Europe may be invited afterward to “supplement” discussions following a framework agreement—effectively reduced from decision-maker to ratifier.
Original source: toutiao.com/article/1881431854111879/
Disclaimer: This article reflects the personal views of the author.