Who’s who for Europe at the Ukraine talks in Abu Dhabi

Senior officials from the EU, NATO and key European capitals travel to Abu Dhabi this week to participate in U.S.-brokered talks geared toward ending Russia’s war on Ukraine — allaying fears that Europe risks being completely cut out of the process. The talks coincide with growing concerns in Europe about potential concessions to Russia after Jared Kushner, son-in law and adviser to U.S. President Donald Trump, said last week that discussions would focus on a “new European security architecture” — a phrase often used by Russian officials to mean reducing NATO’s presence in front-line nations and limits on Ukraine’s armed forces. Ukraine will be represented by Rustem Umerov, the head of Kyiv’s foreign intelligence service, along with senior officials Kyrylo Budanov and David Arakhamia. Russia’s contingent is to be led by presidential aide Vladimir Medinsky. Representing the U.S. side will be Kushner and U.S. Special Envoy Steve Witkoff. The European contingent includes national security advisers from France, the U.K., Germany and Italy, in addition to senior officials from NATO as well as the European Commission and the European Council. The inclusion of EU figures as well as an Italian representative follows a push by Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni, who warned of fragmentation in a letter to European Council President António Costa last week. Despite their presence in Abu Dhabi, though, the European team is not expected to be inside the room during the main negotiations, according to two senior officials aware of the format. A German official told POLITICO that the format of talks would be “determined as the discussions progress.” The Kremlin has voiced opposition to Europeans directly participating in the talks, according to the same senior officials. Here’s a quick look at the key players from Europe in Abu Dhabi. Günter Sautter (Germany) Sautter is German Chancellor Friedrich Merz’s foreign and security policy adviser and a senior career diplomat who has become a major figure in Europe’s efforts to end Russia’s war — and secure a European seat at the negotiating table. Besides representing Germany in the E3 format, Sautter is also coordinating the German-led “Berlin Format” — a German-led coalition to bring together Ukraine, the E3 and other European nations such as Italy, Poland or the Scandinavian countries as well as NATO, EU and others including Canada — that seeks to steer Ukraine’s peace talks and coordinate support for Kyiv. At a press conference with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy last week, Merz remarked that Sautter “is now devoting a significant portion of his workforce to diplomatic efforts to end this war.” Sautter’s main credo in the talks is that there can be no discussion about a future European security architecture before Russia agrees to a ceasefire. Fabrizio Saggio (Italy) Fabrizio Saggio, diplomatic adviser to Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni, will also attend the talks, according to an Italian official. Saggio, whose surname means “wise” in Italian, has earned the not-particularly-original sobriquet “Mister Wolf” in the Italian press, a reference to his role as Meloni’s go-to troubleshooter on major international issues, resolving problems and providing strategic advice. Rustem Umerov attends a press conference in Istanbul, Turkey on July 23, 2025. | Yasin Akgul/AFP via Getty Images Meloni met him during a visit to Tunis, where he was serving as Italian ambassador, to sign a migration deal. “It took her 20 minutes to realize that he was the one” for the job, an Italian diplomat said. In a letter sent to European Council President António Costa last week and seen by POLITICO, Meloni complained about the proliferation of negotiating formats on Ukraine. She called for this week’s informal gathering of EU leaders in Dublin to also discuss Ukraine and decide “once and for all, who sits at the negotiating t