Finnish President Alexander Stubb and Norwegian Prime Minister Jonas Gahr Støre spoke by telephone with Russian President Vladimir Putin on October 27. The main subject was the possibility of a diplomatic settlement to Russia's war against Ukraine.
The Finnish side and Russian representatives reported the contact. According to the information released, the call had been coordinated with Ukrainian authorities.
The Office of the President of Finland described the conversation as frank and substantive and linked it to forthcoming diplomatic meetings on Ukraine in Abu Dhabi. Following the call with Putin, Stubb and Støre also spoke by telephone with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy. A full transcript of their conversation with the Russian president has not been published.
The calls came amid discussions among European countries about how they could take part in future negotiations with Moscow and help ensure Ukraine's security. European media had previously considered various politicians who might be able to maintain a direct channel of communication with Putin.
Stubb and Støre stressed that they had spoken with Putin as leaders of their own countries, not as official negotiators for the European Union or NATO. They reaffirmed their support for Ukraine. No agreement on a ceasefire or new peace plan was announced following the calls.