It’s Time for Europe to Resume Talks with Russia

February 25, 2026

According to reporting this week, some European Union countries are resisting calls to set up a direct negotiation channel with Russia, amid fears that the Kremlin will exploit any dialog to divide the continent. Although French President Emmanuel Macron has acknowledged that France has opened up “technical-level” dialog channels with Russia, few other countries wish to follow suit.

This concern is understandable, but Europe is now heading into the fifth year of the Ukraine War with a dangerous imbalance. Nato’s deterrent posture is expanding, while Europe’s capacity for dialog and risk reduction has withered.

For months, European leaders have lamented being shut out of US-Russia negotiations over Ukraine’s future, insisting that a war fought on European soil cannot be settled without them. However, by refusing to talk to Moscow, they have in effect excluded themselves from the peace process. If Europe wants to be taken seriously and play a role, reopening a direct line to Moscow is the obvious place to start. There have been indications since late last year that Russia has been more willing to participate in talks, while of course seeking peace on its own terms. These include US-brokered talks in Abu Dhabi and Geneva, as well as Vladimir Putin’s remarks that a US-Ukraine draft text “can be used as a basis for future agreements”.

Washington is already moving in this direction. This month, United States European Command announced that America and Russia had agreed to reestablish regular high-level military dialog, which has been suspended since 2021, to avoid unintentional escalation.

Full piece in UnHerd