Finland and Norway Open Direct Channel With Putin, Say Contact Builds Trust
Finland's President Alexander Stubb and Norwegian Prime Minister Jonas Gahr Støre held a 90-minute call with Vladimir Putin on October 27 at Ukraine's request. They delivered two messages from President Volodymyr Zelenskyy, urged Putin to stop the war and asked about Russia's preparations for the planned Ukraine-Russia-US talks in Abu Dhabi. Stubb said the call was a step toward building trust rather than an immediate step toward peace.
Key points
- The 90-minute call took place on October 27.
- Stubb and Støre initiated the contact at Ukraine's request to open a communication channel.
- They asked Putin about Russia's preparations for the trilateral Abu Dhabi talks.
- They delivered two messages from Zelenskyy covering a possible leaders' meeting and proposed de-escalation steps.
- The proposed steps included an energy infrastructure ceasefire, food security, a prisoner exchange and infrastructure protection.
- Finland and Norway told Putin they do not approve of Russia's shadow fleet activity in the Baltic Sea.
- Stubb said Finland is not acting as a mediator and fully supports Ukraine.
Why it matters
The call established a direct communication channel connecting Ukraine, Russia and European leaders supporting Kyiv. The European leaders conveyed Zelenskyy's proposals and tested whether Russia was genuinely preparing for the scheduled Abu Dhabi negotiations. It also gave European governments a direct message from Moscow about the war and Baltic security, although Stubb cautioned that the contact itself did not bring immediate peace.
What happened
President Alexander Stubb and Norwegian Prime Minister Jonas Gahr Støre spoke with Vladimir Putin for 90 minutes on October 27 at Ukraine's request, calling for him to end the war. They passed Putin two messages from President Volodymyr Zelenskyy. The first expressed Ukraine's readiness for a bilateral meeting with Putin at leader level to discuss territorial issues and security. The second proposed de-escalation measures, including a possible ceasefire involving energy and energy infrastructure, food security, a prisoner exchange and infrastructure protection. The two European leaders also asked about Russia's preparations for the trilateral meeting in Abu Dhabi and raised their opposition to Russia's shadow fleet activities in the Baltic Sea. Stubb said Finland does not act as a mediator and fully supports Ukraine.
How Ukrainian sources describe it
Ukrainian reporting emphasizes that Kyiv initiated the contact and that the European leaders delivered Zelenskyy's messages. Particular attention is given to proposals for a prisoner exchange, an end to strikes on energy infrastructure and the restoration of safe civilian navigation in the Black Sea. Zelenskyy's assessment that Russia appears serious about the Abu Dhabi meeting is central to the Ukrainian framing, while the contact is also viewed within the broader debate over a future European security system.
How international sources describe it
The international focus is on the significance of direct contact between Putin and European leaders who support Kyiv, as well as on Finland and Norway's position as neighboring states with their own Baltic security interests. The discussion also covers Finland's explicitly non-neutral stance, the two countries' rejection of Russia's shadow fleet activities and Stubb's criticism of allowing Russian hockey players to participate in international competitions.
Where reporting differs
Stubb rejected the Financial Times account that Putin spent almost the entire call explaining the historical origins of the conflict, describing the discussion as open and businesslike. Other Ukrainian materials repeated the Financial Times characterization, creating a clear discrepancy over what was discussed.
Background
A trilateral meeting involving representatives of Ukraine, Russia and the United States is scheduled for November 10 in Abu Dhabi, with the aim of assessing whether a ceasefire agreement can realistically be achieved. Ukrainian negotiators have sought to broaden discussions beyond Moscow's narrow territorial demands toward a wider system for the security of Ukraine and Europe. European countries insist on an obligatory role in the final negotiations. Ukraine is also seeking reliable security guarantees from the United States, Europe and NATO that would rule out another Russian aggression.