Finnish president and Norwegian prime minister speak with Putin ahead of Abu Dhabi talks
Finnish President Alexander Stubb and Norwegian Prime Minister Jonas Gahr Støre held a joint phone call with Russian President Vladimir Putin on October 27 to discuss efforts to end Russia's war against Ukraine.
The two Nordic leaders initiated the conversation to deliver a message directly to Putin ahead of upcoming meetings in Abu Dhabi, according to a statement from the Finnish president's office.
"Finland and Norway are neighboring countries of Russia. They are supporters of Ukraine. The purpose of the phone call was to convey a message directly to Putin regarding the forthcoming negotiations aimed at ending the war," the statement said.
The Finnish presidency emphasized that Stubb and Støre were speaking as leaders of their respective countries, not on behalf of Europe.
After the call with Putin, the two leaders spoke with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy, according to Zelenskyy's communications adviser Dmytro Lytvyn.
The Finnish president's office described the conversation as frank and substantive.
"We are neighboring countries of Russia. The outcome of this war will have a direct impact on our security and on the security of Europe as a whole. Direct discussions are necessary to end the war," the statement said.
According to Bloomberg, the conversation was Putin's first with European leaders since French President Emmanuel Macron called him in July 2025.
The call comes amid discussions within the European Union over who could represent European interests in potential negotiations with Russia.
Politico reported earlier that Stubb was among the figures being considered for such a role, citing his country's experience dealing with Russia. However, the Finnish presidency explicitly stated that the October 27 conversation was not conducted on behalf of Europe.