European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen stressed on Monday the need to reach a ceasefire in the war between Russia and Ukraine before discussing the continent's security. The European official added during a press conference in Bucharest that "any serious discussion in the European security structure cannot be held before a ceasefire is reached in Ukraine, and must take place within an appropriate framework, especially with allies in NATO and member states of the European Union."

Published on: 09/11/2026 - 22:24 Last updated: 09/11/2026 - 22:25

Days before the expected discussions between Kiev and Moscow in Abu Dhabi, European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen stressed on Monday that a ceasefire in the war between Russia and Ukraine must precede discussion of the continent’s security.

The Europeans, who are expected to attend in the UAE capital, on the sidelines of the US-brokered talks on Tuesday and Wednesday, fear that Kiev will be forced to accept unfavorable terms in any settlement, or that Washington will provide new security guarantees to Russia without consulting them.

Read also: France and the European Union will attend Abu Dhabi negotiations on ending the war in Ukraine

In this context, von der Leyen said in Bucharest: “Any serious discussion of the European security architecture cannot be held before a ceasefire is reached in Ukraine, and must take place within an appropriate framework, especially with allies in NATO and member states of the European Union.”

For his part, President Donald Trump raised fears of an American rapprochement with the Kremlin after he expected to reach a “very large” agreement with Russia, which includes not only Ukraine, but “all of Europe.”

His Foreign Minister, Marco Rubio, said before heading to Paris, where a G7 ministerial meeting began on Monday, that the post-war security structure of Europe constitutes “one of the main topics that was repeatedly raised in every conversation that dealt with the negotiations,” adding, “It is clear that we must overcome the conflict first to reach that stage.”

As for Trump's envoy and son-in-law, Jared Kushner, who is directly concerned with the discussions between Moscow and Kiev, he considered on Monday that Russia and Europe should hold direct talks on "broader security arrangements" within the framework of any peace agreement to end the most violent conflict on the continent since World War II.

France 24/AFP

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