Finland and Norway press Putin in 90-minute call on Ukraine war
What's new: The Nordic leaders said they coordinated with Kyiv, while Denmark criticized the outreach as an uncoordinated solo move.
Finland's President Alexander Stubb and Norway's Prime Minister Jonas Gahr Støre held a 90-minute phone call with Vladimir Putin on Oct. 27, a rare direct contact between the Russian leader and European officials since Moscow's 2022 full-scale invasion of Ukraine. The two said they initiated the call from Helsinki to push diplomatic efforts to end the war and reduce the human and material toll. Støre said the exchange exposed "big differences in views," while the Kremlin said Putin blamed the European Union and NATO for prolonging the conflict. Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky later spoke with the Nordic leaders, who said the outreach was coordinated with Kyiv. Denmark's prime minister publicly questioned what the effort could achieve.