Nordic Leaders Call Putin in Rare Direct Contact

On October 27, Finnish President Alexander Stubb and Norwegian Prime Minister Jonas Gahr Stoere held a 90-minute telephone conversation with Russian President Vladimir Putin. After the call they spoke with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy. The initiative was presented as a bilateral effort by the two bordering states, not a representation of Europe as a whole.

Finnish President says call with Putin was prepared jointly with Ukraine

The war in Ukraine began with Russia’s full-scale invasion in February 2022 and has persisted for four years. Western European capitals have largely avoided direct contact with Moscow, preferring sanctions and military aid to Kyiv. The last such high-level contact by an EU leader was French President Emmanuel Macron in July 2025. The Finnish-Norwegian call came ahead of U.S.–led trilateral peace talks scheduled for November in Abu Dhabi, a format that also includes Russia and Ukraine. The timing coincides with a shift in U.S. policy under President Donald Trump, who has recently eased sanctions on Russia and pursued a diesel-supply deal, prompting European leaders to seek a more active diplomatic role.

ReutersYnetNewsTwo Nordic leaders urge Putin to end Ukraine war in rare direct contact by Europeans The Irish TimesUnited24 MediaBBC News

• Stoere highlighted the “enormous human and material costs” of the conflict and said the leaders “stressed the importance of de-escalation.”

The Straits Times

• The call lasted 90 minutes (approximately one and a half hours).

New York Times

• Finland and Norway share a combined 1,300 km border with Russia, a factor cited by the leaders as giving them a direct security stake.

The Straits Times

• Both countries are among the largest European donors of military aid to Ukraine, a point reiterated in their statements to Putin.

United24 Media

• Finnish and Norwegian officials claim that all Nordic Council members were notified before the call; Danish and Swedish leaders assert they were not informed, indicating a gap in coordination.

Euronews

• Reports differ on the most recent EU-level contact with Putin: several outlets cite Macron’s July 2025 call, while one source mentions a 2024 German chancellor’s outreach, leaving the exact timeline of prior EU-Russian dialogue unclear.

Moscow Times

• “The discussion (with Putin) was 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,” — Alexander Stubb, finnish president

Reuters

• “The war comes with enormous human and material costs. The suffering and destruction will impact generations. In the call we stressed the importance of de-escalation.” — Stoere. The Norwegian, the finnish president

Reuters

• “I believe we should keep Europe united, rather than going it alone,” — Mette Frederiksen, danish prime minister

DW News

• “My impression is that everyone wants peace, except for Putin himself. I have quite low expectations for this type of conversation,” — Ulf Kristersson, swedish prime minister

The Independent

• “We discussed preparations for the trilateral meeting planned for November at the team level — Ukrainian, American, and Russian,” — Volodymyr Zelenskyy, ukrainian president

Politico Europe

• “We take note of the call, which took place solely on a bilateral basis, and is a follow-up of the meeting in Oslo.” — Paula Pinho, spokesperson for the European Commission

Politico Europe