Russian President Vladimir Putin is prepared to hold talks with French President Emmanuel Macron if there is mutual political will, the Kremlin said on Sunday, signaling a possible opening for renewed diplomatic engagement amid the ongoing war in Ukraine.

Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov said Moscow would view such talks positively if both sides were willing. “If there is mutual political will, then it can only be viewed positively,” Peskov was quoted as saying by Russia’s RIA news agency.

The comments come after Macron said earlier this week that Europe should consider re-engaging with Putin in an effort to help end the conflict in Ukraine, which is nearing the end of its fourth year. Speaking to reporters in Brussels, the French president argued that renewed dialogue could become necessary if a comprehensive peace agreement cannot be reached.

“I believe that it’s in our interest as Europeans and Ukrainians to find the right framework to re-engage this discussion,” Macron said, adding that such efforts could take shape in the coming weeks. He stressed that Europe faced a choice between securing “a robust and lasting peace” with credible security guarantees for Ukraine, or reopening channels of dialogue with Russia in a transparent and coordinated manner.

Most European Union member states have largely cut off direct communication with Putin since Russia launched its full-scale invasion of Ukraine in 2022. Hungary and Slovakia have been notable exceptions, maintaining more open lines of contact with Moscow.

Macron himself has taken limited steps toward re-engagement. In July, he held a two-hour phone call with Putin—their first direct conversation in three years—during which he called for a ceasefire in Ukraine. However, the exchange had little visible impact on the course of the war.

The French president warned that without a coordinated European approach, EU leaders risk marginalizing themselves diplomatically. “Otherwise, we will be left talking among ourselves,” Macron said, while “negotiators who alone will talk to the Russians” shape the outcome.

The diplomatic debate comes as the European Union continues to shore up support for Kyiv. EU leaders agreed on Friday to provide Ukraine with a loan of $105 billion to address looming budget shortfalls caused by the prolonged conflict. However, the bloc failed to reach consensus on whether to use frozen Russian assets to finance the aid, highlighting persistent divisions within the EU over how far to go in pressuring Moscow.

While no concrete talks have been scheduled, the Kremlin’s openness to dialogue and Macron’s call for renewed engagement suggest that diplomatic maneuvering could intensify in the coming weeks, even as fighting on the ground in Ukraine continues. (ILKHA)