For nearly three years, European diplomats have operated under a clear set of assumptions about Russia: that pressure would yield concessions, and that time was on the West's side.

But a quiet reassessment is underway in several European capitals. Officials who once championed a hardline approach are now exploring back-channels and indirect dialogues.

The shift is gradual, deliberate, and largely unannounced. It reflects a broader recognition that the policy toolkit deployed since 2022 has produced mixed results at best.