Putin rules out compromise on seizing all of Donbas in call with Nordic leaders, Reuters reports
Russian President Vladimir Putin told Finnish President Alexander Stubb and Norwegian Prime Minister Jonas Gahr Støre that Moscow would not compromise on its goal of capturing all of Ukraine's eastern Donbas region, Reuters reported on October 27, citing a source close to the Kremlin.
The two Nordic leaders spoke with Putin ahead of planned talks on Ukraine in Abu Dhabi, in a rare direct contact between Western European leaders and the Russian president. They subsequently spoke with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy.
According to the source, Stubb and Støre responded to Putin's position by emphasizing the need for a just peace.
The Kremlin's official account of the conversation did not explicitly mention the Donbas demand. Instead, it said a “just and lasting peace” would be possible only if Russia's interests were “fully and unconditionally” taken into account.
The Kremlin also accused NATO and EU countries of prolonging the war through what it called confrontational policies.
In a joint statement, Stubb and Støre said they had stressed the need to end the war and reduce tensions. They reaffirmed their countries' continued support for Ukraine.
The call drew criticism from Danish Prime Minister Mette Frederiksen, who said she saw no indication that Russia wanted peace and urged European countries to remain united rather than act individually.
Stubb and Støre said they had spoken in their national capacities, not on behalf of Europe as a whole.
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