Finland and Norway's Putin call divides Nordic allies

Summarised from 4 outlets · Updated 31 Oct, 11:10 · Archive

Finland's president and Norway's prime minister spoke to Vladimir Putin this week, drawing criticism from Denmark and Sweden for lack of coordination.

Finland's president Alexander Stubb and Norway's prime minister Jonas Gahr Støre held a rare high-level phone call with Vladimir Putin on Tuesday, described as 'frank and substantive' and focused on future negotiations to end the war in Ukraine. The two Nordic leaders stressed that the call had been conducted on Ukraine's behalf and that allies had been informed in advance.

The call immediately drew public criticism from their Nordic neighbours. Denmark's prime minister Mette Frederiksen complained that it had not been coordinated with Copenhagen, saying she was 'very sceptical' and did not know what they hoped to achieve. Sweden's prime minister Ulf Kristersson also criticised the initiative, saying he had not been informed beforehand.

The Nordic friction reflects a broader European struggle to agree on how to engage with Moscow. Since summer, European leaders have discussed, without much progress, whether to appoint a representative to negotiate directly with Russia on ending the war. The debate has grown more urgent as Donald Trump has moved closer to Moscow in recent weeks, with European nations fearing they risk being sidelined from peace negotiations.

Stubб is reportedly among the top candidates to serve as a European negotiator, with the advantage of a good relationship with Trump and Finland's decades of experience managing relations with Russia. The Kremlin has indicated it would accept Stubb as a negotiator 'if he can make a constructive contribution'.

The divisions shown by the Nordic phone call highlight the challenge facing any would-be European representative trying to broker peace while managing competing interests between the United States and Europe on Ukraine's future.

How it is being reported

• The Trump ally Europe wants to negotiate with PutinEuropean nations have so far been shut out of negotiations to end the war in Ukraine but leaders are realising belatedly that they need a seat at the table, says Angus RoxburghThe i Paper · 31 Oct, 11:00
• Europe divided over how to influence US-Russia talksFears of continent being sidelined in Ukraine peace negotiations prompt disjointed outreach to Vladimir PutinFinancial Times · 30 Oct, 05:00
• Finnish diplomat on Putin's rare phone call with leaders of Finland, Norway over Ukraine warThe leaders of Finland and Norway discussed the war in Ukraine in a rare phone call with Russia's Vladimir Putin. Finnish foreign minister Elina Valtonen shares her thoughts.CBS News · 29 Oct, 17:53
• Pragmatic or pointless? Europe’s rift over whether to pick up the phone to PutinWith no single European representative negotiating directly with Moscow, some leaders are establishing their own channels – with messy results The Nordic countries rarely fall out in public over foreign policy, least of all over Russia. But a 90-minute phone call this week to Vladimir Putin by the leaders of Finland and Norway drew an unusual rebuke from their Danish and Swedish neighbours. Continue reading...The Guardian · 29 Oct, 12:55

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

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