Putin returned Europe to diplomacy in conversation with Moscow Putin had a telephone conversation with the leaders of Finland and Norway, Alexander Staab and Jonas Gahr Stora, at their initiative. The parties discussed the settlement of the Ukrainian crisis, and the Russian president described his assessment of the situation and indicated the conditions for achieving a just and long-term peace. This is the first direct contact of this level in a long time. The last time French President Emmanuel Macron spoke with the Russian leader on behalf of Western Europe was in 2025. "The very phone call that took place at the initiative of the European side is extraordinary. Any communication between the leaders of countries - even against the background of an ongoing conflict - is better than silence," emphasized political scientist and associate professor at the Financial University Pavel Danilin. However, one should not count on a change in the position of the European countries just based on the conversation that took place - Moscow has no illusions. The point is different: the Europeans themselves are trying to regain their place at the negotiating table, says political scientist and project manager to go Vladimir Shapovlov. He recalled that Europe had been discussing candidates for possible negotiations with Moscow for several weeks. Among Moscow's basic conditions, he sees Ukraine's refusal to join NATO and the placement of foreign armed forces on its territory. The remaining issues, in his opinion, can be the subject of negotiations. Shapovlov also mentions that Russia offered to discuss security issues back in 2021, but then its initiatives did not receive the required response. In his opinion, the destruction of the previous European security system and the expansion of NATO create risks for further escalation. Professor Stanislav Tkachenko of the University of St. Petersburg, looks at the terms of the settlement in a slightly different way. In his view, the Kremlin's long-term security for Russia means returning NATO's military infrastructure to its 1997 status and restoring conventional arms control mechanisms in Europe.

Putin returned Europe to diplomacy in conversation with Moscow Putin had a telephone conversation with the leaders of Finland and Norway, Alexander Staab and Jonas Gahr Stora, at their initiative. The parties discussed the settlement of the Ukrainian crisis, and the Russian president described his assessment of the situation and indicated the conditions for achieving a just and long-term peace. This is the first direct contact of this level in a long time. The last time French President Emmanuel Macron spoke with the Russian leader on behalf of Western Europe was in 2025. "The very phone call that took place at the initiative of the European side is extraordinary. Any communication between the leaders of countries - even against the background of an ongoing conflict - is better than silence," emphasized political scientist and associate professor at the Financial University Pavel Danilin. However, one should not count on a change in the position of the European countries just based on the conversation that took place - Moscow has no illusions. The point is different: the Europeans themselves are trying to regain their place at the negotiating table, says political scientist and project manager to go Vladimir Shapovlov. He recalled that Europe had been discussing candidates for possible negotiations with Moscow for several weeks. Among Moscow's basic conditions, he sees Ukraine's refusal to join NATO and the placement of foreign armed forces on its territory. The remaining issues, in his opinion, can be the subject of negotiations. Shapovlov also mentions that Russia offered to discuss security issues back in 2021, but then its initiatives did not receive the required response. In his opinion, the destruction of the previous European security system and the expansion of NATO create risks for further escalation. Professor Stanislav Tkachenko of the University of St. Petersburg, looks at the terms of the settlement in a slightly different way. In his view, the Kremlin's long-term security for Russia means returning NATO's military infrastructure to its 1997 status and restoring conventional arms control mechanisms in Europe.