Abu Dhabi Was Meant to Be a Three-Way Table. Now Europe Is Pulling Up a Chair.

U.S.-brokered Russia-Ukraine talks open Tuesday in the UAE — the first major round since February. France says Europe will be there despite the Kremlin's objections, while Russia spent the weekend hitting ships and power lines. Here is what is on the table and what to watch.

By Clara Hughes

The format was supposed to be settled. Washington, Moscow and Kyiv, in one room in Abu Dhabi, on Tuesday and Wednesday, Nov. 10–11. Then, on Sunday, France's foreign minister changed the seating chart. "France will be there and will ensure that Europe's voice is heard," Jean-Noël Barrot told French radio RTL, NPR reported. "The Europeans will be well represented," he said, according to Politico Europe, adding that he could not yet say who would represent Paris. Days earlier, Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov had ruled out any European role, saying the trilateral format had already been agreed, NPR reported. Keep reading with Altas Premium. Below: how these talks came together, the three items on Witkoff's agenda, what Russia did on