Representatives from the EU, France, Germany, Italy, the United Kingdom, Ukraine, the United States and NATO met in Abu Dhabi on Monday to coordinate ahead of upcoming trilateral talks with Russia on ending the war in Ukraine.
The group discussed efforts to establish conditions for a “durable peace”, including support for security guarantees for Ukraine as part of any settlement, the European Council informed in a statement on Monday.
Any future arrangements would need to respect Ukraine’s sovereignty and territorial integrity, as well as its right to make independent decisions, the participants said in the statement.
The meeting also focused on developing what it called a practical security framework intended to strengthen Ukraine’s long-term security and support a negotiated settlement.
Focus on post-war security in Europe
Alongside discussions on a lasting peace, participants talked about building on existing European security institutions and agreements once the war ends, the European Council said.
They also discussed ways to address post-war security concerns, reduce the risk of conflict and put in place mechanisms to manage risk and avoid escalation.
A strong NATO would remain central to collective defence in the Euro-Atlantic area — a term generally used to describe security cooperation involving Europe and North America — the participants said.
The group said it would continue working together throughout the negotiating process, with the aim of moving towards broader multilateral discussions involving European partners and reaching what it described as a comprehensive and lasting peace.
