In a bid to advance diplomatic efforts to end the ongoing conflict in Ukraine, Finnish President Alexander Stubb and Norwegian Prime Minister Jonas Gahr Støre engaged in separate phone conversations with Russian President Vladimir Putin and Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy. These discussions, which took place on Tuesday, are part of broader initiatives to facilitate peace talks scheduled for early November in Abu Dhabi.
President Stubb’s office reported that the dialogue with Putin revolved around the anticipated meetings in Abu Dhabi. Ukrainian President Zelenskyy had previously indicated that negotiators from Ukraine, Russia, and the United States had agreed to conduct technical-level discussions during these meetings. Describing the conversation with Putin as frank and substantive, Stubb emphasized that the war’s resolution would have direct implications for Finland’s security and the broader European landscape. He also highlighted the necessity for direct discussions to achieve an end to the conflict.
Following these engagements, an aide to President Zelenskyy confirmed that he had subsequent conversations with both Stubb and Støre. The Nordic leaders reiterated their countries’ ongoing support for Ukraine, while clarifying that their dialogues do not represent a unified stance on behalf of all European nations.
These diplomatic communications follow a series of recent meetings, including those in Oslo involving US special envoy Steve Witkoff, President Zelenskyy, and the Nordic leaders, as well as discussions between Witkoff and President Putin in St Petersburg. The Kremlin has expressed a willingness to resume US-mediated peace negotiations with Ukraine in November, which could potentially be the first such talks since February.