Finland and Norway leaders call Putin to urge Ukraine talks and de-escalation
Finland’s president Alexander Stubb and Norway’s prime minister Jonas Gahr Støre held an initiative phone call with Russian President Vladimir Putin on October 27. They conveyed Ukraine’s position for planned talks in Abu Dhabi, called for de-escalation and concrete steps affecting Ukraine’s energy and infrastructure, and said they would continue supporting Ukraine. Putin subsequently discussed Ukraine’s position with President Volodymyr Zelensky by phone.
Key points
- The call took place on October 27 from Helsinki.
- Stubb and Støre initiated the conversation with Putin and consulted Ukraine beforehand.
- The leaders represented Finland and Norway, not Europe as a whole.
- They conveyed Ukraine’s position for future talks, including meetings planned in Abu Dhabi.
- Stubb and Støre urged Putin to end the war, resume negotiations and take de-escalation steps on Ukraine’s energy and infrastructure.
- Stubb and Støre later spoke with Zelensky, who discussed preparations for a November trilateral meeting of Ukrainian, US and Russian command levels.
- Denmark’s prime minister Mette Frederiksen criticized the initiative as insufficiently coordinated with other European countries.
Why it matters
The call created direct high-level contact between Putin and European leaders who support Ukraine. Finland and Norway transmitted Ukraine’s signals for the planned Abu Dhabi talks and pressed for de-escalation that could protect Ukraine’s energy and infrastructure. It also extended the diplomatic process that followed the October 20 Oslo meeting with Ukrainian and US representatives, although the initiative was criticized for lacking broader European coordination.
What happened
On October 27, Alexander Stubb and Jonas Gahr Støre initiated a phone call with Vladimir Putin from Helsinki after consulting Ukraine. The leaders discussed Russia’s war against Ukraine, ways to end it, and European peace and security. They conveyed Ukraine’s position for future negotiations, including planned meetings in Abu Dhabi, and called for concrete de-escalation measures concerning Ukraine’s energy and infrastructure. Both countries also reaffirmed their long-term support for Ukraine. After the call, Stubb and Støre spoke separately with President Zelensky about their contact with Putin and preparations for a trilateral meeting of Ukrainian, US and Russian command levels planned for November.
How Ukrainian sources describe it
Ukrainian reporting emphasizes that Finland and Norway passed Ukraine’s position directly to Putin and called for de-escalation affecting Ukraine’s energy and infrastructure. Zelensky’s subsequent conversation with both leaders is presented as a detailed briefing and evidence of their support for Ukrainian diplomacy and joint peace efforts. Ukrainian coverage also gives attention to Denmark’s criticism of the lack of wider European coordination.
How international sources describe it
International reporting highlights that Stubb and Støre initiated the call themselves and presented it as preparation for future negotiations supporting Ukraine and European security. Their proximity to Russia is central to the rationale, as they said the war’s outcome would affect their own security as well as Europe’s. The Kremlin’s version places greater emphasis on what it called the war’s root causes, Russia’s conditions for lasting peace, regional stability and continued direct contacts.
Where reporting differs
Finland and Norway described the call as preparation for future negotiations that would support Ukraine, while Danish Prime Minister Mette Frederiksen questioned the lack of broader European coordination and said she saw no signs Russia wanted peace with Europe. The Nordic leaders emphasized ending the war, de-escalation, continued support for Ukraine and regional security; the Kremlin instead stressed what it called the root causes of the war and peace conditioned on fully accounting for Russia’s alleged legitimate interests.
Background
The call continued discussions held in Oslo on October 20 involving Finland, Norway, Ukraine and representatives of US President Donald Trump. A trilateral meeting at the level of the Ukrainian, US and Russian commands was planned for November in Abu Dhabi, although no exact date had been set. The Kremlin said Putin raised the war’s root causes, argued that lasting peace required Russia’s interests to be fully accounted for, and reported that the participants would continue direct telephone contacts.