Merz may call Putin after Abu Dhabi talks

German Chancellor Friedrich Merz may hold a phone call with Russian President Vladimir Putin following a trilateral meeting in Abu Dhabi, according to German government spokesman Steffen Cornelius. The spokesman said an agreement on basic principles was reached in Abu Dhabi and will be communicated to Putin, potentially forming a basis for negotiations. The Kremlin confirmed Putin's readiness for contacts with the EU and Merz, while European states, the US, and Ukraine agreed on four principles for peace talks, including NATO consensus. The Abu Dhabi talks concluded November 11 with a large prisoner exchange agreement between Ukraine, the US, and Russia. US envoys Jared Kushner and Steve Witkoff plan to visit Moscow to discuss expanding the negotiation format to include Europe, followed by a meeting with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky in Dublin.