Norway, Finland leaders hold 'frank and substantive' talk with Putin

Finnish President Alexander Stubb and Norway's Prime Minister Jonas Gahr Store engaged in a candid and detailed conversation with Russian President Vladimir Putin on Tuesday (Oct 27) regarding efforts to conclude the conflict in Ukraine, according to a joint statement. This marks the latest initiative by Ukraine's allies to de-escalate the deadliest confrontation in Europe since WWII, which originated with Russia's full-scale invasion of Ukraine in February 2022.

Stubb emphasized that ending the war would necessitate direct discussions, as stated in the joint declaration.

The proposal for the call emerged from a meeting in Oslo on Oct 20, involving Store, Stubb, Ukraine's President Volodymyr Zelenskyy, and US envoy Steve Witkoff. US President Donald Trump's son-in-law, Jared Kushner, also joined remotely. Following the Oslo discussions, Witkoff traveled to Saint Petersburg to meet with Putin. Stubb mentioned that both the Americans and Ukrainians believed it would be beneficial to establish a communication channel, with Ukraine expressing a desire for Nordic countries to facilitate this.

During the 90-minute call, Putin highlighted the EU and NATO's confrontational policies, which he claimed were prolonging the hostilities. The Russian leader reportedly agreed to maintain direct contact through telephone conversations. Stubb described the dialogue between the three leaders as "frank and substantive." Subsequently, Ukraine reported that Zelenskyy had also spoken with the Nordic leaders about the conversation with Putin.

The Nordic leaders clarified that they were acting on behalf of their respective nations alone and had not spoken for Europe. Danish Prime Minister Mette Frederiksen expressed skepticism about Norway and Finland's unilateral initiative, stating that she was unsure of the potential outcomes. Store dismissed these criticisms, asserting that in today's climate, European countries should also be able to engage with Russia's leadership.

He noted that while the idea of opening a dialogue with Russia had been considered before, the tense relationship between the US and Ukraine prompted this action. Relations between Ukraine and the US were once again strained after Trump announced a deal with Russia to acquire diesel, amid efforts to reduce oil prices driven by his Iran war.

This discussion followed intense diplomatic efforts in Washington, Kyiv, and Western capitals aimed at calming the situation. As NATO members, Norway and Finland firmly support Ukraine, as emphasized in the statement.