European leaders signal readiness to lead Ukraine peace talks with Russia

European officials indicated that the continent is prepared to take the lead in diplomatic efforts to end Russia's full-scale invasion of Ukraine, while maintaining close coordination with Washington. Stefan Kornelius, spokesperson for German Chancellor Friedrich Merz, said the process is gaining new momentum in Europe after a meeting of leaders from Ukraine, France, Germany and the United Kingdom in London.

"Another new development is that we are taking up and continuing the negotiation process that the U.S. has largely led. We are doing this in close coordination with the U.S.," Kornelius said.

The United States, represented by envoys Steve Witkoff and Jared Kushner, has been involved in mediation since early 2025 with limited progress. The European initiative emerges as the U.S. shifts attention toward tensions with Iran. In a joint statement, Merz, his French and British counterparts, and Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy called for direct dialogue between Kyiv and Moscow with active participation from both the United States and Europe, outlining five conditions for peace, including an immediate ceasefire and legally binding security guarantees for Ukraine.

European leaders plan to discuss the approach further at the upcoming G7 meeting in Evian and a European Council summit in Brussels. Kornelius emphasized the need for broad European support to advance peace efforts and noted that preparation includes establishing willingness to engage in dialogue and defining conditions for talks.

It remains uncertain whether Russian President Vladimir Putin will agree to negotiations with European officials, who have been excluded from prior direct talks. Zelenskyy recently sent an open letter to Putin urging a meeting, which Putin did not respond to. Earlier, Putin suggested former German Chancellor Gerhard Schröder as a negotiator, a proposal that European capitals rejected.