While negotiations between Russia and Ukraine, under the auspices of the United States, continue without a clear outcome, the possibility of resuming direct talks with Vladimir Putin is being increasingly openly discussed in European capitals, writes the French newspaper Le Monde.
Four years after the start of the Russian invasion, the question of whether European leaders should re-establish contact with the Kremlin is no longer taboo, but it is deeply divisive.
The debate was opened in late 2025 by French President Emmanuel Macron, who believes that Europe must not depend solely on Washington and the “unpredictable” American president for its own security. In an interview with several European newspapers, including Le Monde, Macron said: “It is important to structure the renewal of the European dialogue with the Russians, without naivety, without putting pressure on the Ukrainians, but in such a way that we do not depend on a third party.” He stressed that talks with Putin are still being held “through the mediation of the Americans,” and that “Ukraine, of course, would have to be present” if direct dialogue were to take place.
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky, however, has clearly expressed reservations, warning that Moscow could use such a move to humiliate Europe. “I think Russia would use it today only to humiliate Europe,” he said, adding that it is not enough to have a dialogue with the Kremlin, but it is necessary to have concrete levers of pressure, otherwise “Russia would simply treat Europe with disrespect.”
Tatyana Kastueva-Jean of the French Institute of International Relations believes that Macron is trying to ensure that Europe does not remain on the sidelines in a process that directly affects its security. “This is a conflict in which Europe pays but does not participate. There is a strategic calculation: we must be involved,” she told the French newspaper, but she also warned of the dangers of such an approach: “The risk is real. Russia will try to manipulate us. Europeans cannot agree to the role of mere observers.” Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov said that Putin was ready for a “serious” conversation with Macron, but at the same time ridiculed the French initiative as “pathetic diplomacy.”
Le Monde recalls that the head of the diplomatic team of the Elysee Palace, Emmanuel Bon, was in Moscow on February 3, where he renewed contact with Yuri Ushakov, a close associate of Putin, but without concrete progress. A few days later, on February 5 and 6, a senior official of the French Foreign Ministry visited Minsk to explore the possibility of resuming dialogue with Belarus, a key Russian ally.
European capitals, Le Monde reports, remain divided. Although Macron initially envisioned a joint approach with Germany and the United Kingdom, his two partners remain cautious.
German Chancellor Friedrich Merz insists that any move must be coordinated with the US and Ukraine and rejects the opening of "parallel channels of talks."
The UK doubts that Putin wants peace at all, while Poland believes that it is not the time to resume dialogue and warns that such an initiative does not guarantee a faster end to the war. Lithuania and Estonia also have serious reservations; Estonian Foreign Minister Margus Cakna has said that readiness for talks with Putin in the Kremlin would be “catastrophic for Ukraine” and a direct threat to European security. Sweden says that dialogue may be needed “at some point,” but not now.
On the other hand, Cyprus, which currently holds the presidency of the EU Council, believes that Europe should find a way to talk directly with Moscow, with the mandatory participation of Ukraine.
For Italy, the proposal for Europeans to resume dialogue with Moscow is in line with the position of Prime Minister Giorgio Meloni, who said in January that Macron was “right” to advocate such a move. However, the question remains how to implement it. “If we were to make the mistake of deciding, on the one hand, to reopen dialogue with Russia and, on the other, to move in a disorganized manner, we would be doing Putin a disservice,” said Meloni, who expressed support for the appointment of an EU special envoy for Ukraine.
As Le Monde concludes, the idea of direct negotiations with the Kremlin is no longer a taboo subject, but it remains extremely sensitive and politically risky at a time when Europe is trying to define its own role between Washington, Moscow, and Kiev.
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