Norway and Finland hold rare phone call with Putin: What that means

The call on Tuesday marked a significant departure from the longstanding policy among Western European heads of state to avoid direct talks with the Russian leader. The conversation came ahead of a planned round of United States-brokered talks in Abu Dhabi next month, as US President Donald Trump told reporters that direct talks between the Russian and Ukrainian presidents would happen "very soon".

Policy Shift

With Trump increasingly siding with Putin over Ukrainian President Zelenskyy, Western leaders have been largely sidelined from US-led negotiations to end the Ukraine war. Gerhard Mangott, an Austrian political analyst, noted that European governments had "manoeuvred themselves into a dead end" when it came to finding a solution to the conflict.

The Nordic leaders' initiative follows a policy shift by Trump in favor of Russia, particularly after US ties with Ukraine reached their lowest point in 18 months. Trump blamed Ukrainian strikes on Russian energy facilities for the rise in diesel costs, which have doubled in the US this year.

The US president struck a deal with Putin to release Russian diesel stocks to the US and global markets despite sanctions on Russian oil, and also waived newly approved US sanctions on Russia, causing anger in Europe and within his Republican Party.

Conversation Details

Stubb described the discussion with Putin as "frank and substantive." "We are neighbouring 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," the Finnish president said.

Stoere said he and Stubb had "stressed the importance of de-escalation" to Putin. Stubb emphasized that the joint call was held in individual capacities as leaders of Norway and Finland, not as representatives of Europe, and that "our support for Ukraine remains unwavering." The conversation with Putin was followed up with a call to Zelenskyy.

Russian Response

The Kremlin's summary of the conversation suggests Putin maintained a hard line, stating that "achieving a just and long-term peace is possible only if the legitimate interests of the Russian Federation are fully and unconditionally taken into account." The Kremlin also referenced "the confrontational policies of EU and NATO countries, which are contributing to the prolongation of the hostilities."

Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov called the call "constructive and substantive" while Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov dismissed the Nordic leaders' initiative as offering "nothing new" to end the Ukraine conflict. Russian presidential aide Yury Ushakov questioned Zelenskyy's legitimacy, suggesting he should come to Moscow for talks if he truly wants to negotiate.

European Reactions

The call was met with skepticism from several European leaders. Sweden's Prime Minister Ulf Kristersson told local media: "My impression is that everyone wants peace, except for Putin himself. I have quite low expectations for this type of conversation." Danish Prime Minister Mette Frederiksen warned against individual diplomatic approaches to Moscow, emphasizing that European countries must maintain a united position.

Polish Prime Minister Donald Tusk expressed that "absolute caution and vigilance are necessary in such contacts." Lithuania's Foreign Affairs Minister Kestutis Budrys stressed that Europe must be at the table during peace negotiations "but not as a collection of fragmented voices," adding that "any contact with Russia must be backed by a united position, real leverage and a list of European demands."