Von der Leyen says Black Sea "freedom of navigation" must be restored

Ursula von der Leyen, who leads the European Commission, said the EU would join Ukraine negotiations in Abu Dhabi on Nov. 10-11, while Dmitry Peskov, who speaks for the Kremlin, said the gathering would include only delegations from Russia, Ukraine and the United States. Von der Leyen, who described a phone discussion with Ukraine’s President Volodymyr Zelensky as positive, also supported his request for a truce shielding food and energy facilities. She raised maritime access in the Black Sea as security dangers mounted. The U.S.-mediated talks are expected to address halting the conflict, security after the war and reducing tensions. Meanwhile, Russia’s Defense Ministry said its troops struck a Ukrainian drone assembly and storage site and power substations, along with a cargo ship in the Black Sea, and downed 430 Ukrainian drones over Russian territory overnight.