Finnish and Norwegian leaders hold phone call with Putin on Ukraine war

Finnish President Alexander Stubb and Norwegian Prime Minister Jonas Gahr Stoere spoke with Russian President Vladimir Putin by phone on Tuesday about the war in Ukraine, according to a statement from Stubb’s office.

Most Western European leaders have avoided contact with Putin since Russia began its full-scale war in Ukraine in February 2022.

"The discussion 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," Stubb said in a statement.

Russia has repeatedly accused European governments of fueling the war by providing weapons to Ukraine and refusing to engage in dialogue with Moscow.

Russia has pointed to a different approach by US President Donald Trump, who has maintained communication with Putin and attempted to negotiate a peace agreement, though without success so far.

Stoere and Stubb met with US special envoy Steve Witkoff and Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskiy in Oslo last week, one day before Witkoff met Putin in St Petersburg.

Following the Putin-Witkoff talks, the Kremlin stated that Russia was prepared to resume US-mediated peace talks with Ukraine in November, marking the first such willingness since February.