The key facts

  • Zelensky: “40 people cannot talk to Putin” — Europe needs a single representative
  • Possible venues for an agreement — meetings in Denmark, in Berlin on November 19 and the EPC summit in Dublin
  • The trilateral talks in Abu Dhabi concern humanitarian issues, including prisoner exchanges

Zelensky: Europe needs a single voice in negotiations

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky said on Tuesday that Europe should choose a single representative for negotiations with Russia and the United States. This was reported by Danish public broadcaster DR, quoting his remarks at a joint meeting with Danish Prime Minister Mette Frederiksen at the University of Copenhagen. “Europe must decide who represents Europe. Now is the time to choose who will represent Europe,” Zelensky said. According to him, while every European country’s voice matters, too many representatives would complicate the negotiations: “Everyone wants to represent. Every voice is very important. But 40 people cannot talk to Putin.”

Possible venues for reaching an agreement

Zelensky named the meetings in Denmark and the upcoming meeting in Berlin on November 19 as possible opportunities for European leaders to agree on a single representative. Frederiksen, for her part, ruled out representing Europe herself in negotiations with Vladimir Putin, emphasizing the importance of strengthening European institutions. She added that the question of representation would be discussed at the meetings on Tuesday and at the European Political Community summit in Dublin.

Talks in Abu Dhabi

Separately, Zelensky spoke about the ongoing trilateral talks in Abu Dhabi involving Ukrainian, Russian and American officials. He acknowledged that dialogue with Moscow is difficult: “I just spoke with our team in Abu Dhabi. The Russians are difficult. They are not our best friends.” According to him, the discussions in the UAE concern humanitarian issues, including prisoner exchanges.