What changed
Finland’s President Alexander Stubb and Norway’s Prime Minister Jonas Gahr Støre held a 90-minute call with Vladimir Putin in Helsinki on 27 October to discuss possible negotiations to end Russia’s war in Ukraine.
They initiated the conversation themselves and stressed that they were not speaking for Europe as a whole. It was the first contact between Putin and European leaders since Emmanuel Macron spoke with him in July 2025.
Why it matters
The call puts two countries that border Russia directly into a diplomatic channel with the Kremlin, while also showing how divided Europe remains over who should shape the next round of talks.
Støre said the leaders had “big differences in views.” Putin said a lasting peace would require Russia’s interests to be considered. Those positions are far apart, but the channel itself now exists, and both sides agreed to keep speaking.
Volodymyr Zelensky spoke with Stubb and Støre afterward. He connected their discussions with planned November trilateral talks involving Ukraine, Russia and the United States in Abu Dhabi.
The immediate outlook is uncertain. The conversation may help clarify how those talks are organized, but there is no indication yet that it produced concessions or a new negotiating format. Denmark’s prime minister said the dialogue had not been coordinated with other European leaders, leaving the Nordic initiative politically useful but diplomatically exposed.
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