From Helsinki, Finnish President Alexander Stubb and Norwegian Prime Minister Jonas Gahr Støre called Vladimir Putin on Tuesday with a direct message on the war in Ukraine: its end will require negotiation. The two leaders initiated the joint conversation while together in the Finnish capital, after consulting Kyiv.
Stubb said: 'The discussion was frank and substantive'. He added: 'We are neighboring countries to Russia. The outcome of this war will have a direct impact on our and the broader European security. Ending the war requires direct discussions.' Finland shares a 1,300 kilometer border with Russia.
Støre said the leaders had pressed for de-escalation. He told Putin: 'The war comes with enormous human and material costs. The suffering and destruction will impact generations.'
The call followed talks in Oslo on 20 October, when Stubb and Støre met Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy and Steve Witkoff, Trump's envoy, to discuss Ukraine's negotiating position. Witkoff travelled to St. Petersburg the following day to meet Putin and brief him on those discussions.
Zelenskyy said: 'I am grateful for the detailed briefing and for their active support for our diplomacy and the peace efforts we are pursuing together with all our partners.' He said the Nordic leaders had 'made it clear to the Russian leader that real de-escalatory steps are needed regarding our energy and infrastructure'.
The Kremlin said Putin restated the reasons behind his order for the full-scale invasion of Ukraine. It said he also pointed to what he described as the confrontational policies of EU and NATO member states, which he said had prolonged the hostilities.
The leaders also discussed security and stability in the Baltic Sea and Northern European regions, and agreed to stay in direct contact. Their exchange was the first conversation between Putin and a leader from one of Ukraine's European allies since French President Emmanuel Macron spoke with the Kremlin leader in July 2025.
The contact comes before planned talks involving the US, Russia and Ukraine in Abu Dhabi after 4 November. The Nordic outreach placed Ukraine's concerns directly before Putin, while leaving public silence on whether he offered any change in Russia's position.
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