Russia has been waging a full-scale war of aggression against Ukraine since 2022 and so far all attempts at negotiations have failed to end the conflict. Ukraine is currently stepping up its attacks on targets in Russia, and the Russian economy is showing growing signs of weakness. Commentators discuss whether this might be an auspicious moment for Europe to take the initiative in negotiations. An opportunity too good to ignoreJOIN US ON TELEGRAMFollow our coverage of the war on the @Kyivpost_official. De Morgen sees promising signs of weakness in Moscow (Belgium): “The atmosphere of disillusionment and hopelessness in Russia that is increasingly being described by experts sounds a little like the gerontocracy of the 70s and 80s at the end of communism. ... If there is any truth to this, then the EU cannot let this opportunity pass. It must demand a place at the negotiating table for the peace talks on Ukraine. ... We must also fully prepare ourselves for the post-Putin era and start thinking now about who we need to strike deals with the moment he lands on the scrapheap of military history.” Moscow would pit countries against one another For NRC columnist Caroline De Gruyter, Europe is too divided to stand up to Putin (Netherlands): “Europe should not enter negotiations with Putin, because there is not a single issue that it can agree on internally. One countermove from the Kremlin and all 27 member states would be flapping around the henhouse, squawking loudly. Putin would ruthlessly play them off against each other. This is the last thing Ukraine needs. ... In 2027 there will be elections in Spain, France, Poland and Italy, which could reshuffle the cards in European politics. This is another reason why Europe cannot be a capable negotiation partner and should get off its high horse.”