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Finnish President Alexander Stubb and Norwegian Prime Minister Jonas Gahr Støre spoke by phone with Russian President Vladimir Putin about Russia’s war in Ukraine and diplomatic efforts to end it. Finland’s president’s office said the leaders initiated the call to convey Ukraine’s position ahead of a planned Russia-U.S.-Ukraine meeting in Abu Dhabi after November 4. Details of the call and any response from Putin were not provided.
Finnish President Alexander Stubb and Norwegian Prime Minister Jonas Gahr Støre spoke by phone with Russian President Vladimir Putin about Russia’s war against Ukraine and diplomatic efforts to end it, the Finnish president’s office said. The office said the leaders initiated the call to convey Ukraine’s position ahead of planned peace talks in Abu Dhabi, bringing the two Nordic leaders directly into the latest diplomatic contacts over the war.
The Finnish president’s office described the call as a follow-up to a meeting in Oslo on October 20. It said Stubb and Støre discussed Russia’s war against Ukraine, diplomatic efforts to end the conflict, and the prospects for peace and stability in Europe. The statement gave no account of Putin’s response or further details of the conversation.
The office said the call’s purpose was to directly convey Ukraine’s position on the upcoming peace talks in Abu Dhabi. The planned next round is expected to involve Russia, the United States and Ukraine, and to take place after November 4, following the U.S. midterm elections, according to the report. No specific date or agenda for that meeting was supplied.
The October 20 Oslo meeting involved U.S. special envoy Steve Witkoff, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky and Stubb, according to the report. Witkoff subsequently traveled to St. Petersburg for talks with Putin, then returned to Oslo before flying to the United States. After those contacts, the parties agreed to hold a new trilateral meeting. The Finnish office’s statement linked the leaders’ phone call to that diplomatic sequence.
Nordic Leaders Enter the Peace Contacts
The call matters because it placed Stubb and Støre in direct contact with Putin while preparations were under way for another round of talks involving Russia, Ukraine and the United States. The Finnish office said the leaders were communicating Ukraine’s position, rather than describing the call as negotiations on a settlement. Their involvement may give European governments a channel to express views as the next meeting is organized, but the statement does not establish that either leader will take part in the Abu Dhabi talks.
The development also comes as European countries are reportedly considering who could represent the European Union in future peace discussions. Meduza, citing The Telegraph, reported that Stubb and Støre were among several names being considered, alongside Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni, Czech President Petr Pavel and Danish Prime Minister Mette Frederiksen. That reported list is not confirmation of an appointment or an agreed EU role.
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From Oslo Contacts to Abu Dhabi
The latest diplomatic sequence began with the October 20 meeting in Oslo between Witkoff, Zelensky and Stubb. Witkoff then met Putin in St. Petersburg before returning to Oslo. The subsequent agreement to hold a trilateral meeting marked a further planned contact among the three countries involved in the proposed talks; it does not by itself establish that negotiations have begun or that a ceasefire deal is near.
The next meeting is expected after November 4 in Abu Dhabi, according to the report. The Finnish president’s office framed the Stubb-Støre call as a continuation of the Oslo discussions and said its immediate purpose was to pass on Ukraine’s position. The source material does not set out that position or provide a detailed account of what was discussed in Oslo or St. Petersburg.
“The call was “a follow-up of the meeting in Oslo on 20 October.””
— The Finnish president’s office
Details of Putin’s Response Remain Unknown
The Finnish office did not disclose what Putin said, whether he responded to Ukraine’s position, or whether the call produced any agreement. It also did not provide a transcript, details of the leaders’ proposals, or information about the call’s length. The source material offers no direct statement from the Russian government about the conversation.
The planned Abu Dhabi meeting is described as taking place after November 4, but no exact date, confirmed attendance list or published agenda is given. It remains unclear whether European representatives will participate, and the reported candidates for an EU role have not been confirmed as selected.
Abu Dhabi Talks Await a Date
The next stated milestone is the planned Russia-U.S.-Ukraine meeting in Abu Dhabi after November 4. A date and the format of the talks have not been announced in the source material. Further official statements from the governments involved may clarify who will attend, what issues will be discussed and whether European representatives will have a formal role.
For now, the confirmed development is the phone call and Finland’s stated purpose for it: to relay Ukraine’s position ahead of the proposed meeting. Whether that contact changes the negotiations or leads to any concrete commitments remains unknown.
Key Questions
Who spoke with Vladimir Putin?
Finnish President Alexander Stubb and Norwegian Prime Minister Jonas Gahr Støre spoke with Putin by phone, according to Finland’s president’s office.
Why did Stubb and Støre call Putin?
The Finnish president’s office said they initiated the call to discuss Russia’s war against Ukraine and diplomatic efforts, and to convey Ukraine’s position ahead of peace talks planned for Abu Dhabi.
When are the Abu Dhabi talks expected?
The planned trilateral meeting involving Russia, the United States and Ukraine is expected to take place after November 4, according to the report. No exact date was provided.
Did the phone call produce an agreement?
No agreement was reported. The Finnish office did not disclose Putin’s response or say that the call resulted in any commitments.
Will European leaders attend the Abu Dhabi meeting?
That has not been confirmed. The report said European countries were looking for a possible representative and listed several leaders reportedly under consideration, but no selection or attendance was announced.
Source: meduza.io
