In brief
Norway’s Prime Minister Jonas Gahr Støre and Finland’s President Alexander Stubb made the first phone call to Russian President Vladimir Putin since 2025, focusing on potential negotiations to end the war in Ukraine. The leaders clarified that the conversation was not a European‑wide initiative but a bilateral effort. Putin criticised the EU and NATO’s confrontational stance as a factor prolonging the conflict. Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky, who also met the Nordic leaders afterwards, praised their active support and the importance of diplomatic engagement.
Finland’s President Alexander Stubb and Norwegian Prime Minister Jonas Gahr Støre have held a rare phone call with Russian President Vladimir Putin, marking the first contact between a European leader and Moscow since 2025.
The discussion aimed at exploring future negotiations to end the war in Ukraine, according to their offices. The Nordic leaders stressed that their initiative was not on behalf of “Europe as a whole.”
After the call, Putin criticized the EU and NATO for prolonging the conflict and blamed confrontational policy for the war that began in 2022.
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky met the Nordic leaders following the call; he praised the active support of Finland and Norway and highlighted the need for diplomatic efforts.
The call took place from Helsinki and highlighted the Nordic countries’ border with Russia, underscoring their urgency to promote peace and stability in Europe.
