E3 initiative to engage Russia on Ukraine emerges as US-led talks remain stalled

Germany, France, and the UK are working with Kyiv on coordinated plans to engage Russia in negotiations to end the war, Bloomberg reported June 4, citing people familiar with the matter. The initiative marks a joint diplomatic effort among Europe's three largest economies at a moment when the US has effectively stepped back from the negotiation process. The three governments, described as acting in full coordination with Kyiv, will not advance any strategy without Zelensky's agreement.

The timing reflects what participants describe as a shift in momentum. US-led talks have stalled, Russian forces are suffering mounting losses in what both sides acknowledge is a battlefield stalemate, and Ukrainian drone strikes have reached deeper into Russia. Bloomberg reported earlier in the month that senior officials at Russia's finance ministry and central bank had warned Putin that war spending is on an unaffordable path -- the most serious sign of internal division in Moscow since the full-scale invasion began. Those warnings have so far not altered Putin's course; he has tasked officials to shield defence spending and seek cuts elsewhere. There are also 'some signs of resistance to Putin's war at the highest levels in Moscow,' the Bloomberg sources said. By engaging now, the allies would aim to avoid another winter in which Russia intensifies strikes on Ukrainian civilian and energy infrastructure.

Zelensky said late Wednesday he had discussed 'our joint diplomacy with Europe' in a call with UK Prime Minister Keir Starmer. 'Europe definitely needs its own voice, its own position, and its own contribution to all diplomatic efforts that can help end the war,' Zelensky wrote on X. 'We coordinated on how to get there,' he added. Starmer is expected to speak with Chancellor Friedrich Merz and French President Emmanuel Macron in coming days.

Putin has not shown a clear readiness to engage European leaders he has repeatedly accused of enabling Ukrainian strikes on Russian soil and still regards Washington as the most important negotiating counterpart. He left a door ajar in comments to reporters in Kazakhstan, saying: 'It is up to us to decide whether to meet with this or another actor in today's Western European politics.'

Significant dissent within the E3 itself has accompanied the plan. Some officials from the three governments argue it is not the right moment for talks with Moscow: Putin continues to harbour maximalist demands, including that Ukraine cede unoccupied territory, and has given no sign of seriousness about compromise. Those voices argue allies should instead exploit this moment to provide Zelensky with additional weapons and tighten sanctions. 'The E3 should be working with the US to get Russia to the table -- the problem is in Moscow, not Kyiv,' the Bloomberg sources noted. European nations should not be petitioning Putin, they said; it should be the other way around given Russia's economic struggles and monthly casualty rates.