
Russian President Vladimir Putin held two phone conversations with Finnish President Alexander Stubb and Norwegian Prime Minister Jonas Gahr Støre, in a diplomatic move that has drawn the attention of European countries due to the ongoing war in Ukraine.
According to the Kremlin, the phone calls took place on Tuesday, and immediately after them, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky contacted the two Nordic leaders to inquire about the content of the discussions with the Russian head of state.
Full details of the talks have not been made public, but the development comes at a delicate moment for international efforts aimed at finding a path to an end to the Russia-Ukraine conflict. Zelensky's adviser, Dmytro Lytvyn, confirmed that the Ukrainian president was in communication with Stubb and Støre, without revealing further details about the consultations.
Meanwhile, Denmark has expressed skepticism about the contacts with Putin. Danish authorities have not clarified the nature of their reservations, but have raised questions about the timing and purpose of these communications between the Nordic leaders and the Russian president.
According to information so far, no concrete agreements or new initiatives have been announced as a result of the phone calls. However, they are considered important due to the role that Finland and Norway play in the European security architecture.
Finland shares a long border with Russia and joined NATO in 2023, abandoning decades of neutrality after the Russian invasion of Ukraine.
On the other hand, Norway, one of the founding members of NATO, also has a land border with Russia in the Arctic region.
Both states have been among Ukraine's strongest supporters since the start of the war in February 2022, providing political, financial, and military assistance to Kiev.
In recent developments, Norwegian Prime Minister Jonas Gahr Støre confirmed that “major disagreements” were evident during a phone call with Putin regarding the war in Ukraine. He stressed that the parties remain far apart in their positions and that no significant progress has been recorded on the main issues under discussion.
Støre added that allied and partner countries had been informed in advance about the development of the phone call with Putin, a comment intended to allay concerns raised by Denmark and several other European countries.
At the same time, Polish Prime Minister Donald Tusk announced that Finnish President Alexander Stubb had informed him of a climate of "moderate optimism" among European countries regarding the diplomatic talks taking place in Abu Dhabi on the Ukraine issue.
However, despite cautiously positive signals, European leaders acknowledge that major obstacles to reaching an agreement remain. Ukraine continues to demand the return of occupied territories, while Russia controls about 19 percent of Ukrainian territory.
For now, the exact nature of the talks between Putin, Stubbs, and Støre remains unclear.
However, the fact that Zelensky immediately requested consultations with the two Nordic leaders shows the importance that Kiev attaches to any diplomatic move related to Moscow and efforts to end the war that has been going on for more than four years.