The hardcore of Europe’s remaining Russophobes flew to Abu Dhabi in their attempt to crash today’s Russia-Ukraine negotiations, for which the U.S. had arranged. According to the Financial Times, the assembly included the national security advisors of France, Germany, and the UK, as well as the chiefs of staff of the European Commission president and NATO secretary-general. Although French Foreign Minister Jean-Noël Barrot had insisted two days earlier that “Europeans will be well represented” in Abu Dhabi and that French officials intended to take part in the talks, it turned out that the worst-laid plans of this assembly came to naught.

Earlier, high-ranking Kremlin foreign policy expert Yury Ushakov had warned that “they can get there [Abu Dhabi] if they buy tickets, but no one intends to invite them to the negotiating table.” Today, the spokeswoman for Russia’s Foreign Ministry, Maria Zakharova, told Vesti that “the trilateral format of the talks does not allow for anyone’s participation other than Russia, Ukraine, and US representatives.” The Europeans’ presence in Abu Dhabi is nothing more than a publicity stunt and an attempt to provide media support for Kiev, she said. No one actually understands “what the Europeans are going to do in Abu Dhabi or why they are flying there.”

The best that the European assembly achieved was a “coordinating” meeting, including the UK ringleader, National Security Advisor Jonathan Powell, with Witkoff, Kushner, and the Ukrainians, prior to the trilateral talks with the Russians.

The Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov, had himself explained that Moscow would not obstruct Washington’s contacts with European officials, but expressed doubt that such meetings would help negotiations. Asked today about the negotiations, Lavrov responded:

“The negotiations are focused, at the suggestion of the US mediators, on discussing the parameters of the future security architecture for Ukraine, Russia and our entire region. Or, one might say, for European security.