Stubb and Støre tell Zelensky Russia appears serious about Abu Dhabi talks

Why it matters

The call reopened a direct channel between Putin and European leaders who support Ukraine, while showing that the parties remain far apart on territory and security. It also produced a more encouraging assessment of Moscow’s willingness to participate in the Abu Dhabi talks, although the meeting still hinges on Washington’s participation. Ukraine’s proposed agenda focuses on concrete de-escalation steps, prisoner exchanges, security guarantees and preparations for a possible meeting of national leaders.

What happened

Finland’s President Alexander Stubb and Norway’s Prime Minister Jonas Gahr Støre initiated and conducted a 90-minute phone call with Vladimir Putin from Helsinki on October 27, about ending the war in Ukraine and broader regional security. The call continued discussions from their October 20 meeting in Oslo and was coordinated with Ukraine. Before contacting Putin, the Scandinavian leaders spoke with Zelensky and discussed the agenda for the planned Ukraine-US-Russia meeting in Abu Dhabi.

After the call, Stubb and Støre told Zelensky that Russia appeared serious about taking part in the meeting. Ukraine and Russia had also confirmed the format, but Zelensky said the exact timing depended on the United States. Washington had asked to postpone an earlier preparatory meeting in Brussels because it was focused on the Middle East.

Ukraine’s proposed agenda includes initial de-escalation measures in energy and maritime affairs, a prisoner exchange and the return of prisoners to Ukraine, security guarantees, and discussion of a possible three-way leaders’ meeting. Zelensky said territorial questions could only be addressed by the leaders of the warring states at their level. Putin instead reiterated that a peace agreement must recognize the “realities on the ground” and that addressing the “root causes” of the war was a prerequisite for future peace talks.

How Ukrainian sources describe it

Ukrainian coverage focuses on Zelensky’s coordination with the Scandinavian leaders, their report on Putin’s position, Ukraine’s proposed Abu Dhabi agenda and its demand for security guarantees from the United States and European countries. The reports also stress that Putin did not compromise over Donbas and interpreted his references to “realities on the ground” as linked to Russia’s territorial claims. Ukraine treats territory as a “red line” that cannot be settled at the level of negotiating teams or through preliminary document exchanges.

How international sources describe it

International reporting cited in the Ukrainian coverage emphasizes Putin’s maximalist demands, his refusal to compromise on Donbas and the limited discussion of an immediate ceasefire. Stubb and Støre are presented as acting for Finland and Norway, not for Europe as a whole, while also raising security and stability in the Baltic region and northern Europe. The contact represents a European opening toward Moscow, but not convergence between the parties.

Where reporting differs

The territorial positions remain sharply opposed. Russia demanded recognition of Crimea, all of Donetsk and Luhansk regions, and the captured parts of Kherson and Zaporizhzhia regions. Ukraine rejected withdrawing its forces from unoccupied parts of Donbas and said territorial issues should be considered only by national leaders. The tone of the call is also interpreted differently: Putin and the Kremlin emphasized long-term peace and regional security, while the Scandinavian participants said Putin largely repeated his established position and that major disagreements remained.

Background

The trilateral Ukraine-US-Russia negotiating meetings had been paused since February of the previous year. Earlier talks concerning a 28-point plan to end the war failed to produce consensus on territorial questions. A preparatory meeting in Brussels involving Ukraine, the United States, EU leaders and the NATO secretary general was postponed at the request of the American side because of developments in the Middle East. Ukraine and Russia had subsequently agreed in principle to the Abu Dhabi format, but the date remained dependent on the United States.