BRUSSELS – A group of Ukraine’s key European allies are working on plans with Kyiv to engage Russia in negotiations to end the war as they see a shift in momentum strengthening President Volodymyr Zelensky’s position.
Officials from Europe’s three biggest economies – Germany, France and Britain – have been discussing the possibility of holding talks involving both sides, according to people familiar with the matter.
They have also talked about the matter with their Ukrainian counterparts, said the people, who spoke on condition of anonymity to discuss private conversations.
Spokespeople for France and Britain didn’t immediately respond to requests for comment. A German government spokesman declined to comment.
With US-led talks stalled and Russian forces suffering mounting losses amid a stalemate on the battlefield, the three nations see an opportunity to potentially bring Russian President Vladimir Putin to the negotiating table, the people said.
Adding to the pressure on the Kremlin, Ukrainian forces have had increasing success with drone strikes deep inside Russia and there are some signs of resistance to Putin’s war at the highest levels in Moscow.
By negotiating now, the allies would aim to avoid another winter that will likely see Russia intensify its attacks on civilians and energy infrastructure as Putin seeks to undermine the Ukrainian morale.
The people stressed that any final decision on whether to proceed with attempts to talk to Russia was for Zelensky and that European nations will not push the Ukrainian president to embrace a strategy he didn’t agree with.
British Prime Minister Keir Starmer is expected to speak with Germany’s Friedrich Merz and Emmanuel Macron of France in the coming days, said the people.
Zelensky has warned that Ukraine urgently needs more Patriot systems and other air defence capabilities, with Russia continuing to bomb the country’s cities.
He said in May Europe should try and carve out a role for itself in what have so far been primarily US-led negotiation efforts.
Ukraine’s president has repeatedly called on allies to increase the pressure on Moscow.
Critics of the idea of engaging with Russia now, including some officials from so-called E3 nations, argue that it isn’t the time for talks with Moscow as Putin has shown no sign of being serious about negotiations and continues to harbour maximalist demands, including that Ukraine cede unoccupied territory.
Kyiv’s allies should instead exploit this moment to provide Zelensky with the weapons he needs and further ramp up the pressure on the Kremlin by further tightening and toughening up sanctions, those people said.
The same people added that the E3 should be working with the US to get Russia to the table, as the problem is in Moscow not Kyiv.
European nations shouldn’t be the side petitioning Putin to talk but it should be the other way round given Russia’s increasing economic struggles and staggering monthly casualty rates, some of the people said.
Bloomberg reported earlier in June that senior officials in Russia’s finance ministry and central bank have warned Putin that spending on the war against Ukraine is on an unaffordable path, the most serious sign of internal division in Moscow since the full-scale invasion began.
However, the warnings have so far done little to sway the Russian president and he has tasked officials to shield defence spending and seek cuts elsewhere. BLOOMBERG