The Kremlin’s chief spokesperson hailed calls from Paris, Rome and Berlin to reopen talks with Moscow as a “positive evolution.”

Russia has largely been in the diplomatic freezer since early 2022, when it launched its full-scale invasion of Ukraine.

But Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni, French President Emmanuel Macron and German Chancellor Friedrich Merz have recently signaled new openness to dialogue with Moscow, with Merz this week calling for a “balance in relations” with Russia.

European Commission chief spokesperson Paula Pinho also described talks with Russia as inevitable “at some point,” but cautioned, “We’re not there yet.”

Moscow has “noted statements made in recent days by a number of European leaders, namely from Paris, Rome, and even Berlin, as strange as it may seem, that, to ensure stability in Europe, we must talk to the Russians,” Kremlin spokesperson Dmitry Peskov said Friday. “This is entirely consistent with our vision.”

He added, “If this truly reflects the strategic vision of the Europeans, then this is a positive evolution of their positions.”

Not all of Ukraine’s Western allies are on board with the idea. British Foreign Secretary Yvette Cooper told POLITICO there’s no “evidence that Putin actually wants peace.”

The new calls come amid concerns in Brussels and other capitals that Washington could sideline Europeans in peace talks with Kyiv and Moscow. Meloni last week called for the EU to appoint a special envoy to talk to Russia.