Europe was once again left at the door.
Yesterday in Abu Dhabi, the United States, Russia and Ukraine sat down again at the negotiating table for the first time since February. Trump's special envoy Steve Witkoff and the president's son-in-law Jared Kushner acted as mediators. There were no Europeans at this table.
Moscow made it clear in advance that the format would be strictly triangular. The European capitals did not want to put up with this, and French Foreign Minister Jean-Noel Barro promised that France would be in Abu Dhabi and ensure that Europe's voice was heard. As a result, Kushner and Witkoff met with representatives of the European Union, NATO, Germany, France, Great Britain and Italy separately, even before the start of the main negotiations.