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

The leaders of Norway and Finland have held a rare call with Russian President Vladimir Putin to push for an end to the war in Ukraine, ahead of a planned round of United States-brokered talks in Abu Dhabi next month.

The call on Tuesday marked a break from a longstanding policy among Western European heads of state to avoid direct talks with the Russian leader.

Finnish President Alexander Stubb and Norwegian Prime Minister Jonas Gahr Stoere spoke with Putin for 90 minutes.

Here’s what we know.

What was behind the call?

US President Donald Trump told reporters on Tuesday that direct talks between the Russian and Ukrainian presidents would happen “very soon”. But with Trump increasingly siding with Putin over Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy, Western leaders have been largely sidelined from US-led negotiations to end the Ukraine war.

Gerhard Mangott, an Austrian political analyst, said European governments had “manoeuvred themselves into a dead end” when it came to finding a solution to the war, and Tuesday’s call was an effort to establish a channel for dialogue.

The Nordic leaders are hoping to influence the diplomatic process, following a policy shift by US President Donald Trump in favour of Russia. US ties with Ukraine have sunk to their lowest point in 18 months since Trump blamed Ukrainian strikes on Russian energy facilities for the rise in the cost of diesel, which has doubled in the US this year.

Trump struck a deal with Putin to release Russian diesel stocks to the US and global markets despite sanctions on Russian oil. He also waived newly approved US sanctions on Russia, causing anger in Europe and within his Republican Party, which had largely supported them.

Ukraine also accused the US of restricting its access to Starshield, the military-grade Starlink satellite system that provides missile guidance intelligence.

What happened during the conversation?

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.

In a post on X, Stubb said the call “was a follow-up to the meeting in Oslo on 20 October”, referring to talks between US special envoy Steve Witkoff and Zelenskyy, held amid deteriorating relations between Washington and Kyiv. Stubb said the conversation with Putin was prepared “in consultation with Ukraine and the United States .

Stubb stressed that the joint call was held in individual capacities as leaders of Norway and Finland, not as representatives of Europe.

“We emphasised that our support for Ukraine remains unwavering,” Stubb said.

Stubb said all Western allies were consulted on the initiative, and that Ukraine had sought the opening of a new channel of communication, arguing that Europe could not contribute to peace efforts by giving Russia “the silent treatment”.

Norway’s Prime Minister Stoere added: “Talking to the other side does in no way mean that we take off the pressure. So I believe that that is something Europe also should do with voices that can be understood on that side.”

The conversation with Putin was followed up with a call to Zelenskyy.

How did Putin respond to the call?

The Kremlin’s summary of the conversation suggests the Russian president maintained a hard line.

“It was emphasised 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,” it said.

The Kremlin also made reference to “the confrontational policies of EU and NATO countries, which are contributing to the prolongation of the hostilities”.

Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov said the call was “constructive and substantive” adding that “Putin’s position is well known. It’s consistent, and he has spoken about the need to address the root causes.”

But Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov said the Nordic leaders’ call with Putin offered “nothing new” to end the Ukraine conflict, saying that European countries were simply seeking a role in negotiations.

Meanwhile, responding to proposals for direct talks between Putin and Zelenskyy, Russian presidential aide Yury Ushakov said: “The current leader in Kyiv is not legitimate.”

“If Zelenskyy truly wants to hold direct talks, he should come to Moscow, where all necessary conditions will be provided for him, including security,” Ushakov added.

How have European countries reacted?

The Norwegian and Finnish leaders’ call with Putin was greeted with scepticism by some European leaders.

“My impression is that everyone wants peace, except for Putin himself. I have quite low expectations for this type of conversation,” Sweden’s Prime Minister Ulf Kristersson told local media.

He said some European leaders had not been informed.

Danish Prime Minister Mette Frederiksen warned against individual diplomatic approaches to Moscow, saying European countries must maintain a united position. “I think Europe should stick together rather than going solo,” she said.

Polish Prime Minister Donald Tusk said he told Stubb and Stoere that “absolute caution and vigilance are necessary in such contacts”.

In a post on X, Lithuania’s Foreign Affairs Minister Kestutis Budrys said Europe must be at the table when peace in Ukraine is negotiated, “but not as a collection of fragmented voices”.

“Any contact with Russia must be backed by a united position, real leverage and a list of European demands,” Budrys said.