In a significant diplomatic effort to resolve the ongoing conflict in Ukraine, Finnish President Alexander Stubb and Norwegian Prime Minister Jonas Gahr Støre engaged in separate telephone discussions with Russian President Vladimir Putin and Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy. These conversations, held on Tuesday, highlight the continued push for peace talks amid the war.
The dialogue between Stubb and Putin focused on the upcoming meetings in Abu Dhabi, where Ukrainian, Russian, and US negotiators plan to hold technical-level discussions in early November, according to Zelenskyy. Stubb described his conversation with Putin as frank and substantive, emphasizing that the war’s outcome is critical to Finland’s security and the broader European region. He noted that resolving the conflict would require direct discussions between involved parties.
Following Stubb’s exchange with Putin, Zelenskyy also spoke with both Stubb and Støre. The Nordic leaders reaffirmed their countries’ long-standing support for Ukraine, clarifying that their discussions with the Ukrainian president did not represent a unified stance from all European nations.
These calls come on the heels of recent diplomatic meetings, including US special envoy Steve Witkoff’s engagements with Zelenskyy and the Nordic leaders in Oslo, as well as his talks with Putin in St Petersburg. The Kremlin has indicated a willingness to resume US-mediated peace negotiations with Ukraine in November, which could mark the first such talks since February.