NATO and four nations set Brussels meeting on Ukraine security
Officials from the US, France, Germany, and the UK will join NATO in Belgium to discuss war-ending steps, following a phone call between European leaders and Russian President Vladimir Putin.
By Robert Marshall ·
Negotiations to end the war in Ukraine have moved to a new diplomatic venue as NATO confirmed its participation in a high-level meeting in Brussels. The gathering will bring together Alliance representatives and officials from France, Germany, the United Kingdom, and the United States. The sessions are scheduled for later this week.
NATO spokesperson Allison Hart stated the meeting will address how to move toward a just and lasting end to the conflict. She noted that the Brussels discussions follow recent talks held in Miami and Oslo. The alliance confirmed the attendance of the four named countries alongside its own delegates.
United States Special Envoy Steve Witkoff announced the travel plans for the American team earlier in the week. His account of the agenda included security guarantees for Ukraine and the future shape of Europe's security arrangements. Witkoff also listed economic opportunities for Ukraine's reconstruction as a topic for discussion. He said representatives from the European Union would also be present.
The upcoming Brussels session is part of a series of diplomatic efforts to close the war. Witkoff indicated that trilateral talks aimed at ending the conflict will take place next week in Abu Dhabi, United Arab Emirates. Those discussions are expected to focus on additional steps toward peace. This timeline places the Abu Dhabi meeting directly after the Brussels session.
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy previously commented on the prospects for the Abu Dhabi negotiations. He said a conversation between European leaders and Russian President Vladimir Putin left the impression that Moscow was serious about meeting. Zelenskyy referred to a telephone call that occurred on 27 October.
Finnish President Alexander Stubb and Norwegian Prime Minister Jonas Gahr Støre initiated that call with the Kremlin leader. According to Zelenskyy, Stubb and Støre pressed Putin on the need for genuine measures to reduce escalation involving Ukraine's energy sector and infrastructure. The Ukrainian president stated that the two European leaders had clearly told Putin that such measures were needed.
