Grid attacks shadow Ukraine talks as US-mediated talks get underway in Abu Dhabi, while G7 attention turns
G7 meets Ukraine’s foreign minister
U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio and other G7 diplomats focused on Ukraine and support for its defense against Russia. They met Ukraine’s foreign minister in France on Tuesday, as trilateral talks began in the United Arab Emirates.
No new aid announcement from the United States or its G7 partners was confirmed. The meetings included group discussions and bilateral sessions with G7 counterparts.
Europe seeks a place in talks
European officials have pushed for a role in the Abu Dhabi negotiations. Two U.S. officials said representatives from Britain, Germany, France, NATO and the European Union would not participate in the main talks, but would discuss possible security guarantees and long-term security arrangements between Russia and Europe beforehand.
Russia has opposed European involvement and called for negotiations to remain a three-way process with Ukraine and the United States. The three countries last held talks in February. Ukraine’s foreign minister said, “There can be no solution without Europe, only with Europe.” He also thanked the United States for efforts to bring the parties together.
Attacks precede renewed talks
On Monday, Russia again struck Ukraine’s power grid, while Ukrainian forces hit another major Russian oil refinery. The attacks came on the eve of the Abu Dhabi discussions.
A U.S. official described the renewed negotiations as preferable to having no talks, while cautioning that a positive outcome remained some distance away.
Key points
- G7 diplomats met Ukraine’s foreign minister in France as trilateral talks began in Abu Dhabi.
- European representatives were excluded from the main negotiations but planned discussions on security issues beforehand.
- Russia opposed European participation and insisted on a Russia-Ukraine-U.S. format.
- Russia attacked Ukraine’s power grid, and Ukrainian forces struck a major Russian oil refinery.