According to persons familiar with the situation, representatives of the three largest European economies – Germany, France, and the United Kingdom – are considering holding negotiations involving both warring countries. As sources anonymously stated, this issue was also discussed with Ukrainian officials.
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The agency notes that representatives of France and the United Kingdom did not immediately respond to requests to comment on the situation, while a German government spokesperson refused to provide comments.
According to Bloomberg sources, with prolonged US-mediated negotiations and Russia suffering increasing losses on the front, these three countries see an opportunity to encourage Kremlin host Vladimir Putin to sit at the negotiating table.
“Pressure on the Kremlin is also increasing, as Ukrainian forces are increasingly successfully carrying out drone strikes deep into Russian territory, and signs of some resistance to Putin’s war are already visible among Moscow’s leadership,” the publication writes.
Allies aim to take advantage of the current moment and start negotiations before winter, when Russia is likely to again intensify attacks on civilians and energy infrastructure, attempting to break Ukrainian morale.
Sources emphasize that the final decision on further negotiations with Russia depends on Volodymyr Zelensky, and European countries will not pressure the Ukrainian president to choose a strategy he disagrees with.
According to the publication, in the coming days, UK Prime Minister Keir Starmer is expected to hold talks with German Chancellor Friedrich Merz and French President Emmanuel Macron.
Ukraine’s needs
V. Zelensky warned that Ukraine urgently needs additional air defense systems, including “Patriot,” as Russia continues to bomb Ukrainian cities.
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Last month, he stated that Europe should become more actively involved in the negotiation process, which has so far been mainly led by the United States. The Ukrainian president has also repeatedly urged allies to increase pressure on Moscow.
Arguments of skeptics
Some representatives of the so-called E3 format (Germany, France, and the United Kingdom) believe that now is not the right time to start dialogue with Moscow. In their opinion, V. Putin does not show serious intentions to negotiate and continues to make maximalist demands, including requiring Ukraine to hand over even unoccupied territories.
Therefore, according to these sources, Ukraine’s allies should take advantage of this moment and provide Zelensky with the necessary weapons and further increase pressure on the Kremlin by tightening sanctions.
The same sources added that E3 countries should act together with the US to force Russia to sit at the negotiating table, as the problem lies in Moscow, not Kyiv. European countries should not beg Putin to negotiate – on the contrary, Russia’s economic difficulties and huge losses on the front weaken its position.
Earlier this month, Bloomberg reported that high-ranking officials from the Russian Ministry of Finance and Central Bank warned V. Putin that the cost of the war in Ukraine is becoming unacceptable.
This is considered one of the most serious signals of internal disagreements in Moscow since the start of the large-scale invasion. However, these warnings have so far not convinced the Russian leader, who ordered to preserve defense funding and look for ways to reduce expenses in other areas.
