Russiaupdated 1h ago2 min read
Stubb And Støre Push Putin For Ukraine De-Escalation Ahead Of Abu Dhabi Talks
“Putin spent almost the entire conversation discussing the ‘initial reasons for the conflict’ with Ukraine instead of discussing how to end the war.”
“Neither side suggested the needle had been moved on ending the war”
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Finland's Stubb and Norway's Støre held a 90-minute call urging negotiations to end Ukraine war. The discussion aimed to influence future negotiations ahead of US-led Abu Dhabi peace talks.
Nordics call Putin
Finland’s President Alexander Stubb and Norway’s Prime Minister Jonas Gahr Støre held a joint phone call with Russian President Vladimir Putin to push for an end to the war in Ukraine ahead of planned United States-brokered talks in Abu Dhabi next month. Stubb described the discussion as “frank and substantive,” and Støre said the leaders had “stressed the importance of de-escalation.”
The Kremlin’s summary of the conversation said 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,” and it also referenced “the confrontational policies of EU and NATO countries, which are contributing to the prolongation of the hostilities.” Russian presidential aide Yury Ushakov rejected direct talks with Ukraine’s President Volodymyr Zelenskyy, saying: “The current leader in Kyiv is not legitimate.”
Europe split over coordination
Denmark’s Prime Minister Mette Frederiksen criticized the phone call, saying she was “very sceptical about this Norwegian and Finnish initiative” and that it “hasn't been coordinated with any of the rest of us.” Frederiksen’s criticism framed the call as “solo action,” while Stubb and Støre emphasized they were speaking on behalf of their own countries and not for all of Europe.
The BBC said Stubb told Finnish media that the call had been prepared “in consultation with Ukraine and the US following a meeting between Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky, the Nordic leaders and US special envoy Steve Witkoff in Oslo last week.” The Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov confirmed the call and said having a European negotiator at the peace talks table would be “good,” while the BBC also said there was “no official EU reaction to the talks.”
Talks ahead, positions harden
The BBC said the call was intended to “convey messages directly regarding future negotiations” toward peace, and it said both Stubb and Støre pointed out their initiative was taken as neighbours of Russia rather than on behalf of Europe as a whole. Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy confirmed that Stubb and Støre debriefed him after the call, and the BBC quoted Zelenskyy saying he was grateful for their “active support” for diplomacy and peace efforts.
Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov said the Nordic leaders’ call offered “nothing new” and that European countries were seeking a role in negotiations, while Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov told reporters the call was “constructive and substantive.” The BBC said the first trilateral US-Ukraine-Russia talks since the start of the year were tentatively planned for early November in Abu Dhabi, and it added that all three parties reportedly agreed to continue their direct phone communication.