Finland and Norway brief Zelenskyy after direct call with Putin
Stubb and Støre say their Putin call aimed to press for de-escalation ahead of Abu Dhabi trilateral talks, then briefed Zelenskyy. Denmark's PM is sceptical.
The story in focus
Finland's Alexander Stubb and Norway's Jonas Gahr Støre held a call with Vladimir Putin on Tuesday, describing it as a follow-up to the Oslo meeting and linked to upcoming trilateral talks in Abu Dhabi. They then briefed Ukraine's Volodymyr Zelenskyy. Denmark's Mette Frederiksen criticised the initiative as uncoordinated.
- Stubb and Støre said the call aimed to convey messages directly to Putin on future negotiations to help end the war
- The leaders said the call related to trilateral Russia-Ukraine-US talks expected in Abu Dhabi in early November
- Stubb called the discussion frank and substantive; Støre said they stressed the importance of de-escalation
- The leaders said they took the call as leaders of their countries, not on behalf of Europe as a whole
- Denmark's Mette Frederiksen said she was very sceptical and that the initiative was not coordinated with other European leaders
What the Nordic leaders said
Finland's President Alexander Stubb and Norway's Prime Minister Jonas Gahr Støre spoke by phone with Russia's Vladimir Putin on Tuesday, according to a joint statement, and described the call as a follow-up to last week's Oslo meeting hosting US-Ukrainian talks.
Stubb's office said the aim was to convey messages directly to Putin about future negotiations, and that the call related to meetings expected in Abu Dhabi. The statement said the two countries share an interest in stability in the Baltic Sea region and the High North, and that they spoke as leaders of their own countries rather than for Europe as a whole.
Stubb called the discussion frank and substantive and said ending the war requires direct discussions with Russia. Støre said the human and material costs of the war will affect generations and that de-escalation was stressed in the call.
Ukraine briefing and allied reaction
The two leaders then spoke with Ukraine's Volodymyr Zelenskyy. Stubb said they discussed the earlier call with Putin and that Finland and Norway will keep supporting Ukraine and efforts toward a just and lasting peace.
Zelenskyy said the Nordic leaders clearly told Putin that real de-escalation steps are needed on Ukraine's energy sector and infrastructure. Trilateral talks involving Russia, Ukraine and the US are expected in Abu Dhabi in early November.
Denmark's Prime Minister Mette Frederiksen told Danish broadcaster DR she was very sceptical about what she called an independent initiative by Norway and Finland, saying it had not been coordinated with other European leaders. She said she saw no signs Russia wants peace and that Europe should stay united rather than going it alone.
What did Finland and Norway say they aimed to achieve in their call with Putin?
They said they wanted to convey messages directly to Putin about future negotiations to help end the war, tied to Abu Dhabi talks, and to stress de-escalation. They then briefed Zelenskyy.
Sources & further reading
- Finnish and Norwegian leaders hold rare ‘frank and substantive’ call with Putin on Ukraine – Europe live ↗The Guardian
- Leaders of Norway, Finland hold rare call with Putin in break with previous European stance ↗NBC News
- Finland and Norway leaders speak to Putin ahead of Ukraine peace talks | The National ↗thenationalnews.com
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