The leaders of Finland and Norway held a direct phone conversation with Russian President Vladimir Putin on October 27 in an effort to promote peace talks aimed at ending the war in Ukraine. Finnish President Alexander Stubb and Norwegian Prime Minister Jonas Gahr Støre described the discussion as “frank and substantive,” emphasizing their countries’ geographic proximity to Russia and the direct impact the conflict has on European security. The call was intended to pave the way for a forthcoming round of peace talks scheduled for November in Abu Dhabi involving Russia, Ukraine, and the United States.

Following their call with Putin, the Nordic leaders also spoke with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy. Støre and Stubb said they stressed the importance of de-escalation and expressed strong support for Ukraine. The initiative was reportedly coordinated with Western allies and Kyiv, with the Finnish president noting that the move responded to Ukrainian requests for renewed communication channels after a period of strained relations between the West and Russia. They also challenged what they described as Europe’s previous “silent treatment” of Russia amid ongoing hostilities.

Despite these efforts, reactions from other European leaders were mixed. Danish Prime Minister Mette Frederiksen voiced skepticism, urging European countries to maintain a united front rather than engaging in separate talks. Swedish Prime Minister Ulf Kristersson noted that other European leaders had not been informed about the call and expressed low expectations for the dialogue, suggesting that Putin remains the primary obstacle to peace. Polish Prime Minister Donald Tusk cautioned about the necessity for vigilance in such contacts with Russia.

The Kremlin’s official summary of the conversation indicated no shift in Russia’s position. Putin reiterated Moscow’s view that a lasting peace settlement must fully recognize Russia’s “legal interests” and criticized what he described as confrontational policies by the European Union and NATO countries, which he said contributed to prolonging the conflict. Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov dismissed the call as offering no new prospects for resolving the war and suggested European nations were seeking to insert themselves into the negotiation process.

Analysts interpret the Finnish and Norwegian outreach as an attempt to establish a new channel of diplomacy, especially in light of growing concerns about the direction of peace efforts. The United States, under President Donald Trump, recently eased sanctions on Russian fuel exports and arranged to purchase Russian diesel, moves that have raised unease in Europe and Kyiv over possible concessions to Russia that may disadvantage Ukraine.

Ukrainian Foreign Minister Andrii Sybiha welcomed the Nordic leaders’ initiative as supportive of ongoing diplomatic efforts and expressed hope that localized ceasefires, such as one near the town of Oleshky, might facilitate broader peace progress. However, observers caution that the fundamental positions remain entrenched, particularly regarding Russia's insistence on recognizing territorial changes such as control over Ukraine’s Donbas region.

This telephone exchange marked the first contact by European leaders with Putin since French President Emmanuel Macron’s call in July of the previous year, an event that similarly yielded limited results. The new dialogue underscores the complexities and divisions within Europe about how to engage Russia and achieve a resolution to the conflict in Ukraine.