Putin holds call with leaders of Norway, Finland – Kremlin
Russian President Vladimir Putin has held a phone call with Finnish President Alexander Stubb and Norwegian Prime Minister Jonas Gahr Store, discussing efforts to resolve the Ukraine conflict, the Kremlin announced on Tuesday.
The conversation was initiated by the Finnish and Norwegian sides and followed last week’s meetings involving US special envoy Steve Witkoff in St. Petersburg, and the Oslo discussions between Stubb, Store, and Vladimir Zelensky.
The Kremlin said the Nordic leaders welcomed the agreement to resume trilateral talks between Russia, Ukraine, and the US in Abu Dhabi in the first half of November. The negotiations will address security arrangements for Russia and Ukraine after the conflict ends, among other issues.
During the phone call, Putin emphasized the root causes of the Ukraine conflict, stating that a just and lasting peace requires Russia’s legitimate interests to be fully and unconditionally taken into account.
He also criticized the confrontational policies of EU and NATO countries, saying they are prolonging the fighting.
The three leaders also discussed security and stability in the Baltic Sea and Northern Europe. According to the Kremlin, Stubb and Store reaffirmed the importance of upholding international maritime law and the principle of freedom of navigation.
Putin also informed his Nordic counterparts of the start of a US-mediated humanitarian operation near Alyoshki in Kherson Region, Russia, with a temporary ceasefire introduced in the area.
The conversation ended with a mutual agreement to maintain direct telephone contact, the Kremlin said.
The call was a rare direct exchange between Putin and European leaders, most of whom have shunned contact with Moscow since the escalation of the Ukraine conflict in 2022.
Stubb described Tuesday’s phone call with Putin as “frank and substantive,” stressing the importance of direct discussions. “We are neighboring countries to Russia. The outcome of this war will have a direct impact on our and the broader European security.”
The two Nordic leaders said they took part in the call as leaders of their countries and were not speaking on behalf of Europe. They added that the call was held in consultation with Ukraine to convey its position ahead of the Abu Dhabi talks, and vowed to continue to support Kiev.
