Nordic leaders broker direct line with Putin to restart Ukraine talks
Finland and Norway held a direct phone call with the Russian president to push for diplomatic progress, a move Denmark criticized as uncoordinated.
By Chloe Martin ·
Tensions between European allies and the Kremlin have deepened as Finland and Norway independently opened a direct channel with Moscow. On Tuesday, Finnish President Alexander Stubb and Norwegian Prime Minister Jonas Gahr Støre held a joint telephone conversation with Vladimir Putin. The leaders stated their goal was to examine future negotiations aimed at ending the war in Ukraine.
The initiative originated from Helsinki, where the two Nordic leaders coordinated their approach. Stubb and Støre explained that their countries border Russia, which gave them a direct stake in the conflict's outcome. They described the discussion as frank and substantive. Stubb noted that the war's end would have a direct impact on European security.
The timing of the call follows a shift in diplomatic dynamics. On October 20, Stubb and Støre met with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky and US special envoy Steve Witkoff in Oslo. That meeting resulted in an agreement to resume three-way negotiations between Ukraine, Russia, and the United States. Putin has since traveled to St. Petersburg, where he met with Witkoff.
Zelensky spoke with the Nordic leaders after their conversation with Putin. The Ukrainian president expressed gratitude for their active support. He said the discussions focused on the upcoming trilateral talks scheduled for November in Abu Dhabi. Zelensky also mentioned exploring various formats for European engagement to support diplomacy and defense.
The move has drawn scrutiny from other European capitals. Denmark's Prime Minister Mette Frederiksen told the Danish broadcaster DR that she was very skeptical of the dialogue. She criticized the lack of coordination with the rest of the continent. Her comments reflect a growing divide in how European nations approach the conflict.
This is the first time Putin has spoken with a European leader since a conversation with French President Emmanuel Macron in July 2025. Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov stated last weekend that having a European negotiator at the peace talks table would be good. Moscow has frequently accused European leaders of prolonging the war by supplying weapons to Ukraine.
Source: BBC News
