Norway's PM disputes FT report that Putin dominated call with history lecture
Norwegian Prime Minister Jonas Gahr Støre has challenged a Financial Times report claiming Russian President Vladimir Putin spent most of a 90-minute call with Nordic leaders delivering a lecture on medieval Slavic history.
"That's wrong. And we have asked the Financial Times to correct it because it isn't true," Støre told Norwegian broadcaster TV 2 on October 28.
Støre and Finnish President Alexander Stubb spoke with Putin on October 27 in an effort to explore possibilities for de-escalation and establish a direct channel of communication between Europe and Russia.
The Financial Times, citing three anonymous sources, reported that Putin had devoted nearly the entire conversation to explaining his interpretation of medieval Slavic history rather than discussing peace efforts.
Støre rejected that account, saying Putin had outlined his view of the current situation and reviewed events from 2014 onward.
He also disputed claims that Putin dominated the conversation, saying the participants had roughly equal speaking time during the 90-minute call, including interpretation.
The conversation had originally been expected to last less than 30 minutes.
The Financial Times has refused to issue a correction. A spokesperson told Norwegian newspaper VG that the publication stood by its reporting and would not disclose its sources.
Støre defended the decision to speak directly with Putin, arguing that European countries neighboring Russia need their own diplomatic channels with Moscow rather than leaving such contacts entirely to the United States.
The call marked a departure from the practice of many European leaders who have avoided direct engagement with Putin since Russia's full-scale invasion of Ukraine.