Zelensky Seeks EU Backing as US-Brokered Peace Talks Open in Abu Dhabi

Volodymyr Zelensky said Kyiv will pursue further diplomatic engagement with European partners in the coming weeks, speaking as US-mediated peace negotiations between Ukraine and Russia opened in Abu Dhabi on Tuesday. The two-day talks are the first trilateral format since February and are expected to cover security guarantees, de-escalation and possible steps toward ending the conflict. Delegations from Russia, Ukraine and the United States are taking part, with European Union representatives also in the room, according to Russian outlet Ria Novosti.

Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov said the teams will try to reach a preliminary agreement on key issues that could later form the basis of a peace settlement, with Moscow framing the meeting around security and a post-war regional framework. On the US side, Special Envoy for Peace Missions Steve Witkoff issued a statement after a meeting between the US, Ukraine, the European Commission, France, Germany, Italy, the United Kingdom and NATO in Abu Dhabi. According to Witkoff, Kyiv and European partners stressed the importance of Ukraine's sovereignty and territorial integrity and of providing it with security guarantees, and discussed post-conflict security arrangements in Europe.

Separately, US Secretary of State Marco Rubio said he met Ukrainian foreign minister Andrii Sybiha on the sidelines of the G7 foreign ministers' summit in Paris. Writing on X, Rubio said they discussed ongoing negotiations to end the Russia-Ukraine war, energy resilience and defense cooperation, adding that the United States remains focused on achieving a durable and lasting peace.

Zelensky said Kyiv was coordinating additional support with the European Commission to address damage to energy infrastructure caused by Russian attacks, and that he expects his team's brief on the talks to come through today. He also announced upcoming consultations with international financial institutions aimed at strengthening Ukraine ahead of winter.

The diplomatic push comes as Ukraine's grid takes another beating. Ukrenergo, the country's electricity transmission system operator, said Russian troops targeted energy infrastructure in eight regions overnight and this morning. The operator reported outages in the Dnipropetrovsk, Donetsk, Kyiv, Sumy, Kharkiv and Chernihiv regions, with Kyiv, Kharkiv, Sumy, Poltava, Dnipropetrovsk, Vinnytsia, Cherkasy and Kirovohrad among the targeted areas. Emergency crews are working to restore power as soon as possible, Ukrenergo said.