European leaders consider direct talks with Putin, FT reports
More EU leaders now back opening direct contacts with the Kremlin rather than leaving negotiations with Russia to the United States, the Financial Times reported.
A growing number of European leaders believe negotiations with Russian President Vladimir Putin should no longer be left solely to the United States, Financial Times foreign affairs columnist Gideon Rachman wrote, according to an account of the article by Meduza. Communication channels between Europe and the Kremlin are already in place, Rachman wrote, and senior-level contacts could follow soon.
Rachman said Putin could be offered one of two options in any direct talks: freezing the war along the current front line in exchange for a guarantee that Ukraine will not join NATO, or Russia gaining control of the rest of the in exchange for Ukraine keeping a path to NATO membership open. He wrote that European capitals have grown frustrated trying to shape the war's outcome by influencing President Donald Trump's position, fearing Trump is more interested in a business relationship with Moscow than in European security.
The report comes as relations between Kyiv and Washington sour further. Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky told the Italian newspaper Corriere della Sera that Putin had "already begun" gradually emerging from international isolation, after the Wall Street Journal reported that Putin had proposed a three-way summit with Trump and Chinese leader Xi Jinping. Trump has said he is open to such a meeting.
Zelensky said Washington had chosen the side of Russia after Trump pressed Ukraine to halt strikes on Russian oil refineries and struck a diesel-supply deal with Moscow, according to Meduza. Trump responded that reaching a deal with Putin was easier than with Zelensky, and said Ukraine needs to hold elections. The Wall Street Journal described relations between the two leaders as being at their lowest point since a clash in the Oval Office in 2025.
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What we know
- A Financial Times columnist reported that more EU leaders want direct talks with Putin rather than leaving negotiations to the US
- Two possible proposals were floated: a front-line freeze for a NATO non-membership guarantee, or ceding the rest of Donbas for a path to Ukrainian NATO membership
- Zelensky said Putin was already emerging from diplomatic isolation
- Trump and Zelensky's relationship is reported to be at its lowest point since 2025, amid disputes over strikes on Russian refineries and a US-Russia diesel deal
Not yet confirmed
- Which, if either, proposal would actually be put to Moscow - the columnist described these as his own assessment of possible options, not a formal offer
Why it matters for Europe
A shift toward direct European contacts with Moscow would mark a departure from the EU's two main planks on Russia so far - supporting Ukraine and maintaining sanctions - and could reopen diplomatic channels largely frozen since the invasion. Any proposal touching Ukraine's NATO status or territorial control of the Donbas goes to the heart of the security guarantees European governments have been negotiating for Kyiv.
Sources
Reported by 3 reports from 3 independent outlets in 2 countries.
- APA Azerbaijan: FT: Avropa liderləri Ukrayna ilə bağlı Rusiya ilə birbaşa danışıqlara başlamağa çalışacaqlar
- NV.ua: Zelenskyy: Putin is already emerging from isolation amid possible three-way talks
- Meduza: Europe is preparing for direct talks with Putin, FT reports. One possible proposal: Russia gets Donbas, Ukraine gets NATO membership.
Source balance
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Questions and answers
- Is Europe formally proposing direct talks with Putin?
- No; the report describes a shift in sentiment among EU leaders rather than a formal offer, according to the Financial Times.
- What are the two possible proposals mentioned?
- Freezing the war along the front line in return for Ukraine staying out of NATO, or Russia gaining the rest of Donbas in return for a path to NATO membership for Ukraine.
- Why are Trump and Zelensky's relations strained?
- Trump has pressed Ukraine to stop striking Russian oil refineries and struck a diesel deal with Moscow, prompting Zelensky to say Washington had chosen the side of Russia.
This article was written with AI assistance from 3 verified reports and checked under the ECTV editorial policy. Spotted an error? Request a correction.