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Norway and Finland Leaders Hold Rare Call with Putin
Confirmed
In Short: Finnish President Alexander Stubb and Norwegian Prime Minister Jonas Gahr Støre held a 90-minute phone call with Russian President Vladimir Putin to discuss efforts to end the war in Ukraine.
Finnish President Alexander Stubb and Norwegian Prime Minister Jonas Gahr Støre held a 90-minute phone call with Russian President Vladimir Putin on Tuesday, aiming to discuss future negotiations to help end the war in Ukraine.
The call, initiated by Finland and Norway, which border Russia, was described as 'frank and substantive' by both Nordic leaders.
Støre said the conversation showed 'big differences in views,' with Putin criticizing EU and NATO policies as prolonging the war.
Stubb emphasized that the outcome of the war would have a direct impact on Nordic and broader European security, urging Putin to consider Russia's interests in achieving a just and lasting peace.
Following the call with Putin, Stubb and Støre spoke with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky, who expressed gratitude for their 'active support' and discussed various formats for engagement with European partners.
Zelensky also mentioned the importance of November's trilateral talks to be held in Abu Dhabi, which were part of the discussions with Putin.
Danish Prime Minister Mette Frederiksen expressed skepticism about the dialogue, stating it had not been 'co-ordinated with any of the rest of us.'
The call comes as several European leaders have suggested establishing direct contacts with the Kremlin to address the ongoing conflict.
Putin's spokesman, Dmitry Peskov, had previously indicated that having a European negotiator at the peace talks table would be 'good.'
What this adds
The call was not on behalf of 'Europe as a whole,' according to the leaders' offices.
Finland joined NATO in April 2023, while Norway is a founding member of the alliance.
The leaders' initiative reflects the complexity of diplomatic efforts to resolve the conflict in Ukraine.
Background
Norway, officially the Kingdom of Norway, is a Nordic country comprising the western and northernmost parts of the Scandinavian Peninsula in Northern Europe, the remote Arctic island Jan Mayen and the archipelago Svalbard. Bouvet Island, located in the Subantarctic, is a dependency, and not a part of the Kingdom; Norway also claims the Antarctic territories of Peter I Island and Queen Maud Land.
What's confirmed
- "The war comes with enormous human and material costs... The suffering and destruction will impact generations."
- The call was "frank and substantive", Stubb said, explaining that the war's outcome will "have a direct impact on our and the broader European security".
- Denmark's Prime Minister Mette Frederiksen said she was "very sceptical" of Tuesday's dialogue, telling Danish broadcaster DR, it had not been "co-ordinated with any of the rest of us".
- Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky has spoken to the two Nordic leaders after their conversation with Putin.
- Zelensky said he had discussed with them "various formats for our engagement with partners in Europe that could be useful in further supporting diplomacy, our defense, and our shared security".
- Their initiative was not on behalf of "Europe as a whole".
- Finland and Norway, which border Russia, initiated the call to "discuss Russia's war of aggression against Ukraine and the diplomatic efforts to end the war and promote peace and stability in Europe", the leaders' offices said.
- Finland ’s president and Norway ’s prime minister held a “frank and substantive” discussion with Russian President Vladimir Putin on Oct. 27 about efforts to end the war in Ukraine, the Nordic leaders said.
- In brief: Finnish President Alexander Stubb and Norwegian Prime Minister Jonas Gahr Støre urged Vladimir Putin to end Russia’s war against Ukraine and resume negotiations.
- “The outcome of this war will have a direct impact on our and the broader European security. Ending the war requires direct discussions,” President Alexander Stubb said in a joint statement with Norwegian Prime Minister Jonas Gahr Store.
What's still developing
- Finland shares a 1,340km frontier with Russia and joined NATO in April 2023, while Norway, a founding member of the alliance, meets Russia in the Arctic.
- Norway and Finland, both NATO members, share borders with Russia, and the statement emphasized that the countries are "firm supporters of Ukraine." Subscribe to help support the work of our entire newsroom.
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- And flanked by Norway's Prime Minister Jonas Gahr Store and Finland's President Alex Stubb, the three said today's meetings made progress.