Macron and Meloni Proposed Talks with Putin, Starmer Firmly Refused

(Patria) - British Prime Minister Keir Starmer "does not plan" to speak with Russian President Vladimir Putin, as proposed by French President Emmanuel Macron and Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni.

- The Prime Minister does not plan to speak with Putin. His goal, obviously, is to support Ukraine in achieving a just and lasting peace and to put the country in the strongest possible position to continue fighting and take steps toward peace negotiations - a Downing Street spokesperson told reporters yesterday.

He stated that the Russian president "has so far shown no sign" of wanting to end the war in Ukraine, adding that the British government has "regular" contact with the Russian government, particularly through its embassy in Moscow.

The Kremlin earlier yesterday assessed as "positive" that some European countries have expressed readiness to resume dialogue suspended after the start of the Russian attack on Ukraine in 2022.

Putin's spokesperson Dmitry Peskov simultaneously criticized the United Kingdom's stance, saying that "for now it remains on radical positions" and "does not want to contribute to establishing peace."

- London's position is destructive in nature - Peskov assessed.

Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni said at the beginning of January that "the time has come when Europe should also talk to Russia," advocating for a European "special envoy" that would allow them to speak with one voice.

French President Emmanuel Macron stated in December 2025 that it would be "useful for Europeans to talk to Putin again" as part of a "comprehensive dialogue with Russia," while German Chancellor Friedrich Merz confirmed on Wednesday that "finding a long-term balance with Russia" would allow the European Union to "look to the future with greater confidence."

Since US President Donald Trump renewed contact with his Russian counterpart, advocates of resuming dialogue argue that Europe, by staying on the sidelines, risks being merely a bargaining chip in a possible political solution to the war in Ukraine, and more broadly in the restoration of US-Russian relations.