On Tuesday, Finnish President Alexander Stubb and Norwegian Prime Minister Jonas Gahr Støre held a phone conversation with Russian President Vladimir Putin. The Finnish presidential office reported that the call was a continuation of the recent negotiation efforts made in Oslo and was conducted in coordination with Ukraine.
Stubb and Støre initiated the conversation specifically to discuss Russia’s war of aggression against Ukraine, as well as various diplomatic efforts aimed at concluding the conflict and promoting peace and stability across Europe. The main objective of the call was to pass “direct messages” to Putin regarding the possibility of future negotiations to end the war. Furthermore, the conversation was tied into planning for upcoming meetings set to take place in Abu Dhabi.
During the call, Stubb and Støre announced that both Finland and Norway intend to continue their long-standing support for Ukraine. Stubb described the discussion as “open and substantive,” emphasizing that resolving the war necessitates direct dialogue. Prime Minister Støre added that the war has resulted in tremendous human and material costs, and the suffering and destruction caused are expected to affect future generations. The critical importance of de-escalation was underlined during the exchange.
