Norway and Finland Leaders Speak With Putin as Europe Splits Over the Approach

Finnish President Alexander Stubb and Norwegian Prime Minister Jonas Gahr Støre held a 90-minute phone call with Russian President Vladimir Putin on Tuesday, Al Jazeera reported. The call broke with a long-standing practice among Western European leaders of avoiding direct contact with the Russian president. It came ahead of a planned round of U.S.-brokered talks in Abu Dhabi in November.

Reaction has split. Kyiv welcomed the initiative, while several other European leaders voiced doubts about acting outside a common European line, and the Kremlin held to its established demands.

What the Nordic leaders say they were doing

Stubb described the conversation as frank and substantive. He said Finland and Norway neighbor Russia and that the outcome of the war will directly affect their security, so ending it requires direct discussions. He wrote on X that the call followed up on the Oct. 20 meeting in Oslo, where U.S. special envoy Steve Witkoff and Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy held talks.

Stubb stressed that he and Støre spoke in their individual capacities, not as representatives of Europe. He said the call was prepared in consultation with Ukraine and the United States, and that Ukraine had sought a new channel of communication. Støre said talking to the other side does not mean easing pressure, and that he and Stubb urged Putin to de-escalate.

According to United24 Media, Zelenskyy said he spoke with both leaders late Monday to coordinate the agenda, and that they briefed him right after the call with Putin. He said they came away with the impression that the Russians are serious about the Abu Dhabi meeting. Zelenskyy welcomed the new channel to Moscow.

What Moscow said

The Kremlin's summary, as quoted by Al Jazeera, said a lasting peace is possible only if Russia's legitimate interests are fully and unconditionally taken into account. It also blamed what it called confrontational policies of EU and NATO countries for prolonging the fighting. Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov called the call constructive and substantive, adding that Putin's position is well known and consistent.

Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov said the call offered nothing new and that European countries simply want a role in negotiations. Presidential aide Yury Ushakov said Zelenskyy is not a legitimate leader and that if he wants direct talks, he should come to Moscow, where security would be guaranteed.

The Financial Times, citing people familiar with the talks, reported that Putin gave a long lecture on Slavic history and avoided discussing an immediate ceasefire. According to that report, the call was expected to last less than 30 minutes, and the Nordic leaders chose not to interrupt him so they could gauge how seriously he took dialogue with Europe.

The doubts among other European leaders

Swedish Prime Minister Ulf Kristersson told local media that he has low expectations for this kind of conversation and that some European leaders had not been informed. Danish Prime Minister Mette Frederiksen warned against separate approaches to Moscow, saying Europe should stick together rather than going solo.

Polish Prime Minister Donald Tusk said he told Stubb and Støre that such contacts require absolute caution and vigilance. Lithuanian Foreign Minister Kestutis Budrys said Europe must have a seat at the table but not as fragmented voices, and that any contact with Russia needs a united position, real leverage and a list of European demands.

Stubb said all Western allies were consulted on the initiative.

Why it matters: Europe's role in the peace effort

Al Jazeera reported that Western European governments have been largely sidelined from U.S.-led negotiations, as relations between Washington and Kyiv have worsened. It cited Austrian analyst Gerhard Mangott, who said European governments had maneuvered themselves into a dead end and that the call was an attempt to open a channel for dialogue.

For people following the war, the practical stakes lie in the Abu Dhabi agenda. Zelenskyy said the technical-level talks will address first steps toward de-escalation, Ukraine's security priorities and wider efforts to end the war. Kyiv hopes for concrete progress on reducing attacks on energy infrastructure, easing hostilities at sea, exchanging prisoners and exploring a possible leaders-level meeting among Ukraine, Russia and the United States.

Security guarantees remain a central issue. Zelenskyy said Ukraine has asked the Americans and Europeans for them, and that Russia also says it needs guarantees.

What happens next

Zelenskyy said the Abu Dhabi talks now largely depend on Washington, since Ukraine and Russia have both confirmed they will take part. He said Washington asked to reschedule a separate Brussels meeting with U.S. representatives, EU leaders and the NATO secretary general, because American officials needed to stay in the U.S. capital to handle developments in the Middle East. That meeting is meant to shape proposals on security guarantees and a joint position before Abu Dhabi. Zelenskyy said Kyiv is waiting for new proposals from the American team.

Finland and Norway are expected to brief national security advisers from other European countries and partners on the call with Putin.

Around Prague, based on reporting by Al Jazeera, UNITED24 Media