Europe’s emerging efforts to restore direct contact with Russia have met resistance from the United Kingdom, Politico reports, pointing to a diplomatic split inside the Western coalition.

According to the outlet, London has diverged from France and Italy over whether Europe should resume direct talks with Russian President Vladimir Putin. Politico says UK Foreign Secretary Yvette Cooper on Thursday rejected proposals from Paris and Rome that European allies should consider restoring diplomatic contact with Putin as part of efforts to end the war in Ukraine.

The report also notes that concerns are growing in Europe that the continent is being pushed into the background in discussions on a Ukraine settlement. Even so, Politico writes, London still believes that Kyiv and European states should set the terms for ending the conflict.

Politico says Cooper argues that the diplomatic «center of gravity» is currently with Ukraine and its closest supporters. She insists pressure on Moscow should be increased rather than reduced, through sanctions and military support for Kyiv.

As tensions between Brussels and Washington sharpen, European politicians have increasingly turned to the idea of restoring relations with Moscow. A day earlier, German Chancellor Friedrich Merz expressed hope for rebuilding balance in ties with Russia, calling it Europe’s largest neighbor. He said restoring relations would mark the end of a major test for Germany and Europe as a whole.

Earlier, Kremlin spokesman Dmitrii Peskov said the Russian leader is ready to restore contacts with Western counterparts. He stressed that any possible conversation should be an attempt to understand each other’s positions, not a format for lecturing.