Finnish and Norwegian leaders hold rare call with Putin

Summarised from 6 outlets · Updated 27 Oct, 13:57 · Archive

The leaders of Finland and Norway held a joint call with Vladimir Putin to discuss ending the war in Ukraine.

Finland's President Alexander Stubb and Norwegian Prime Minister Jonas Gahr Støre held a joint call with Vladimir Putin on Tuesday to discuss efforts to end the war in Ukraine. The call took place in Helsinki and was initiated by the two Nordic leaders as part of international efforts to secure an end to the conflict.

Both countries said they had consulted Ukraine before the call and emphasised they were not speaking on behalf of Europe as a whole. "The outcome of this war will have a direct impact on our and the broader European security. Ending the war requires direct discussions," Stubb said in a statement. Støre stressed the importance of de-escalation, saying: "The war comes with enormous human and material costs. The suffering and destruction will impact generations."

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy spoke to the two Nordic leaders after their conversation with Putin and expressed gratitude for their support. The call followed an October 20 meeting in Oslo involving Stubb, Støre, Zelenskyy and US envoy Steve Witkoff.

The initiative drew criticism from Denmark's Prime Minister Mette Frederiksen, who said the two countries had acted "solo" without coordinating with other European allies. "I'm very sceptical about this Norwegian and Finnish initiative. It hasn't been coordinated with any of the rest of us," she told reporters. "I believe we should keep Europe united, rather than going it alone."

The call comes as US-led peace talks are being prepared for Abu Dhabi next month, involving the United States, Russia and Ukraine. According to the BBC, Putin said "confrontational" EU and Nato policies were prolonging the war.

How it is being reported

• Leaders of Norway, Finland have call with Putin to advocate for peaceFinnish President Alexander Stubb and Norwegian PM Jonas Gahr Støre talked to Russian President Vladimir Putin Tuesday about the war with Ukraine.UPI · 27 Oct, 13:47
• European fury after Finland and Norway's leaders hold direct talks with Putin about ending Ukraine warThe 90-minute conversation marked the first call between pro-Ukrainian European leaders and the Russian president in more than a year.Daily Mail · 27 Oct, 13:46
• Norway and Finland leaders hold rare call with PutinThis is the first time European leaders have had direct communication with Russia's president in more than a year.BBC News · 27 Oct, 13:12
• Denmark's Frederiksen criticizes Finland and Norway for calling Putin without coordinating with allies, despite consultation with UkraineFinland and Norway have called Putin about ending the Ukraine war, drawing Danish criticism. The dispute highlights divisions over European engagement with Moscow ahead of planned US-led peace talks.DW News · 27 Oct, 12:54
• Putin speaks with Norwegian and Finnish leadersCall is first contact at this level in more than a year as Russia and Ukraine prepare for US-brokered peace talksFinancial Times · 27 Oct, 12:13
• Leaders of Finland and Norway talk to PutinFinnish President Alexander Stubb and Norwegian PM Jonas Gahr Støre initiated the call to discuss efforts to end the Ukraine war.Politico Europe · 27 Oct, 09:59

In this story: Alexander Stubb · Jonas Gahr Støre · Vladimir Putin · Volodymyr Zelenskyy · Mette Frederiksen · Finland · Norway · Ukraine

This summary was written by AI from the headlines and standfirsts above, and states as fact only what at least two outlets report. How we use AI · Report a problem