Europeans in London seek own negotiation line with Russia

The backdrop to the consultations is the recognition that the US-mediated talks on ending the war have been largely stalled for months. US President Donald Trump had come to office last year with the promise of ending the war within a day. Trump later described this statement himself as sarcastic. In August of the previous year, he had invited Putin to Alaska. A US plan subsequently considered for a possible end to the war would, however, have demanded extensive concessions from Ukraine, including a cap on troop strength and a constitutional renunciation of NATO membership. In addition, Ukraine would have had to effectively recognize Crimea as well as the occupied territories of Donetsk and Luhansk as Russian.

US Mediation on the Brink

According to the assessment of European government circles, Washington is showing signs of waning interest in mediation. US Secretary of State Marco Rubio had said about two weeks ago that, from the US perspective, others were welcome to make their own attempt to end the war. Against this backdrop, the German side formulated as its goal: "Koordinierung statt Konkurrenz" with the Americans, as well as "größtmögliche Abstimmung" with the rest of the Europeans. German government sources said there was much to suggest that the E3 would continue to play an important role in this. There were also indications that "langsam ein Fenster für Gespräche der europäischen Seite mit Russland" is opening.

Moscow Rejects Europe as Mediator

In Moscow, however, the European engagement meets with reservations. Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov stated that Europe is currently a party to the conflict on Ukraine's side. Europe could therefore not act as a mediator as long as European weapons were being used against Russian troops. At the same time, Kremlin chief Vladimir Putin floated former Federal Chancellor Gerhard Schröder as a possible European negotiator and received him at the Kremlin this week. After his time as chancellor, Schröder had worked as a lobbyist for Russian energy companies and distanced himself from the Russian attack on Ukraine, but according to his own statements, he still maintains friendly contacts in Moscow.

In Berlin, Schröder's role is expressly not regarded as a viable mediator by the government side; the proposal is rather seen as a provocation. Other names circulating in the debate – former Federal Chancellor Angela Merkel and former ECB chief Mario Draghi – are also not considered realistic candidates for such a mission by the German government. According to Peskov's account, no mediator for possible negotiations with Russia was named at the EU foreign ministers' meeting in Cyprus either.

Schröder Proposal Causes Displeasure

At the St. Petersburg International Economic Forum, Putin had criticized Germany and Europe as not neutral because of arms deliveries to Ukraine. The European side firmly rejects this view and points to its role as a supporter of Ukraine through massive arms deliveries and sanctions against Russia. At the same time – unlike Washington – the Europeans explicitly see themselves as allies of Ukraine, not as neutral intermediaries.

According to British figures, the Coalition of the Willing comprises around 35, mostly European, states. In addition to Germany, France, Great Britain, and Austria, Australia, New Zealand, and Japan are also part of the alliance. According to the Élysée Palace, the participants in the London meeting did not primarily intend to name individuals as chief negotiators, but rather to define the substantive line for possible talks with Russia. From the German perspective, a new negotiation push is likely to take "nicht Wochen, sondern Monate", as the German government put it.

Coalition of the Willing as Framework

Parallel to the diplomatic efforts, the military situation has escalated: Moscow and Kyiv have intensified their mutual attacks in recent months. Against this backdrop, the German government regards the Russian president as someone who cannot permanently evade negotiations. Selenskyj had proposed a summit meeting with Putin on Friday; Putin declined. Selenskyj then accused the Kremlin chief of simply not wanting to "einfach nicht beenden" the war.

The talks in London took place on the evening of June 7, 2026, as reported by Deutschlandfunk. Observers assess the meeting as an attempt by the Europeans to lay their own diplomatic track in the conflict after the flagging US engagement – with the stated aim of strengthening Ukraine militarily while at the same time keeping the path open for negotiations with Russia.