Russia is holding confidential talks with European countries about terms to end the war in Ukraine, Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov said in an interview with pro-Kremlin media.
Lavrov said some European leaders call the Kremlin to discuss specific issues, and at times fly to Moscow. He claimed such conversations and meetings are often kept quiet at the request of the European leaders involved.
According to Lavrov, these confidential contacts have not produced new ideas, and discussions typically center on conditions for ending Russia’s war against Ukraine. He also complained that Europe has taken an “uncompromising” stance toward Russia, which he characterized as aiming to inflict a strategic defeat on the Kremlin.
Some European leaders have argued for renewed dialogue with Moscow even as Russia’s full-scale invasion of Ukraine continues and President Vladimir Putin shows no sign of ending the war. In December 2025, French President Emmanuel Macron called for resuming contacts with Russia while taking Ukraine’s interests into account, saying Europe, like the United States, should participate in peace talks with Moscow. Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni backed the idea.
In early February 2026, Latvian Prime Minister Evika Silina and Estonian President Alar Karis also came out in favor of talks with Russia, saying European countries should be involved in negotiations to end the war in Ukraine. Around the same time, Macron said he was ready to speak with Putin and that this was being discussed at a “technical level.”
Many European countries, however, oppose reviving contacts with Moscow. The United Kingdom argues Putin is not ready for serious peace negotiations, and views Russia’s participation in trilateral meetings in Abu Dhabi with representatives of Ukraine, the United States and Russia as an attempt to prolong the conflict.
It previously emerged that Macron’s envoy held secret talks at the Kremlin on February 3, 2026.
Finland’s President Alexander Stubb has also said the European Union will have to engage with Russia in the future.
