Finland’s Stubb and Norway PM call Putin in break with previous European stance

The leaders of Finland and Norway initiated a direct call with Russian President Vladimir Putin on Tuesday morning amid broader diplomatic efforts to wind down Russia’s yearslong war with Ukraine.

Finnish President Alexander Stubb and Norwegian Prime Minister Jonas Gahr Støre noted in a joint press release that they did not speak on behalf of “Europe as a whole” in this conversation but only as the leaders of their respective countries.

Stubb called the discussion “frank and substantive,” noting that both Finland and Norway share a border with Russia.

“The outcome of this war will have a direct impact on our and the broader European security. Ending the war requires direct discussions,” the Finnish leader said in a statement.

The conversation comes ahead of planned trilateral talks between the U.S., Russia and Ukraine in Abu Dhabi next month.

“The war comes with enormous human and material costs,” Støre said following the call with Putin. “The suffering and destruction will impact generations. In the call we stressed the importance of de-escalation.”

Kremlin spokesperson Dmitry Peskov confirmed the conversation to Russian news agency TASS and said the European leaders acknowledged “the importance of respecting international maritime law and the principle of freedom of navigation” during their call with Putin.

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky said Tuesday in a social media post that he also spoke with Stubb and Støre afterward and he thanked them for providing a “detailed briefing” of their conversation with the Russian leader.

“Alex and Jonas made it clear to the Russian leader that real de-escalatory steps are needed regarding our energy and infrastructure,” Zelensky wrote, adding that they discussed the upcoming November negotiations and strengthening Ukraine’s European partnerships.

Several European partners criticized the phone call later Tuesday. Danish Prime Minister Mette Frederiksen told Denmark’s TV 2 on Tuesday she was “very skeptical” about the negotiation effort and noting that it was “not coordinated” with the rest of Europe.

“I think you should keep Europe together instead of going solo,” Frederiksen told the outlet.

“I actually don’t know what the two countries think you can achieve with this,” the prime minister continued. “In the past, we have also emphasised in clear messages from the rest of Europe that when others have gone solo and, for example, travelled to Moscow, it is important that we Europeans join forces.”