Stubb and Støre call Putin: what they told the Kremlin and how Kyiv and Europe reacted

A rare direct contact

On Tuesday, 27 October, Finnish President Alexander Stubb and Norwegian Prime Minister Jonas Gahr Støre held a joint phone call with Vladimir Putin. The call lasted about 90 minutes and was made from Helsinki. Reuters described it as a break with the long-standing practice of Western European leaders shunning direct contact with the Kremlin.

The Norwegian government said the call followed up on the meeting in Oslo on 20 October and was held in consultation with Ukraine. Its aim was “to convey messages directly to President Putin regarding future negotiations” to help end the war, linked to the upcoming meetings in Abu Dhabi. Both leaders stressed they spoke for their own countries, not on behalf of Europe as a whole.

What Stubb and Støre said

“The discussion was frank and substantive. We are neighbouring countries to Russia. The outcome of this war will have a direct impact on our and the broader European security. Ending the war requires direct discussions,” Stubb said. Støre added that the war carries enormous human and material costs and that they had stressed the importance of de-escalation. According to the BBC, the Norwegian prime minister also acknowledged “big differences in views” with Putin.

Both leaders said Finland and Norway would continue to support Ukraine. On the same day in Helsinki, Ukrainian Foreign Minister Andrii Sybiha told Lithuania’s LRT that he saw no signs of Russia being ready for serious negotiations — which is why pressure on Moscow must continue.

Briefing for Zelensky

Straight after the call with Putin, Stubb and Støre phoned Volodymyr Zelensky. The Ukrainian president thanked them for a “detailed brief” and wrote that the two leaders had clearly told Putin that real de-escalation steps were needed regarding Ukraine’s energy and infrastructure. According to Zelensky, they also discussed preparations for a trilateral meeting of Ukrainian, American and Russian teams planned for November.

In his evening address, the president insisted that Europe must take part “in all diplomatic movements” and that no European country should be left out of decisions. He announced new contacts with “strong European countries” in the coming weeks. “There is no peace without pressure. Peace does not come without strength,” Zelensky said.

Tusk: cautious optimism

Polish Prime Minister Donald Tusk said he had spoken with Støre before the call and received a detailed readout from Stubb immediately afterwards. According to Tusk, both sides kept their positions, but the Europeans assessed the prospects for constructive Ukraine–US–Russia talks after 4 November in Abu Dhabi as “very moderately optimistic”.

Tusk urged “absolute caution and vigilance” in such contacts and said he had “no particular illusions” about Russia’s game. He said Stubb and Støre told Putin that the security of NATO’s northern and eastern flanks is not up for discussion. Most importantly, Tusk said, the talks are taking “clearer shape”: it is now known where they will take place and who will negotiate with whom.

Danish scepticism

Not everyone in Europe welcomed the initiative. According to LRT, Danish Prime Minister Mette Frederiksen sharply criticised the call: in her view, all previous calls by European leaders with Putin produced no results, and Russia, which continues hybrid attacks in Europe and deadly strikes on Ukraine, shows no readiness for peace. She was also displeased that Finland and Norway had not consulted partners sufficiently. Finnish Foreign Minister Elina Valtonen replied that the closest partners had been informed, albeit just before the call.

What comes next

The key date is the trilateral round in Abu Dhabi, which, according to Reuters, should take place in early to mid-November. Whether this channel leads to real de-escalation — especially on strikes against energy infrastructure — will become clear in the coming weeks.