Putin spent a call with Finnish and Norwegian leaders lecturing them on Slavic history, FT reports

Russian President Vladimir Putin engaged Finnish President Alexander Stubb and Norwegian Prime Minister Jonas Gahr Støre in a lengthy phone call on October 27, according to the Financial Times. The conversation, which lasted an hour and a half, was initially anticipated to be brief but focused heavily on "medieval Slavic history" and what the Kremlin perceives as the origins of the Russia-Ukraine conflict.

Putin did not discuss potential solutions for ending the war, with a possible ceasefire only mentioned briefly. Both Stubb and Støre opted not to interrupt Putin, aiming to understand his commitment to dialogue. The Kremlin reported that Putin had assessed the situation in Ukraine, emphasizing the "root causes of the conflict" and the role of the "confrontational policy of EU and NATO countries" in prolonging the fighting.

Kremlin sources told Reuters that Putin stated Russia would not relinquish its aim of capturing the entire Donbas region, and Western leaders expressed their desire for a "just" peace. Putin has a history of using phone calls to recount his interpretation of Russia-Ukraine history, including during an interview with Tucker Carlson in 2024 and a meeting with U.S. President Donald Trump in Alaska.

His recent assertion that Russia does not want to fight Ukraine, based on "latest genetic research," remains unverified.