Nordic leaders hold rare 90-minute call with Putin on Ukraine war amid Abu Dhabi talks

Finnish President Alexander Stubb and Norwegian Prime Minister Jonas Gahr Støre have held a rare 90-minute phone call with Russian President Vladimir Putin about the war in Ukraine. The conversation was followed by a separate call with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy, according to the Nordic leaders. The exchange comes as preparations continue for planned Russia-Ukraine-US talks in Abu Dhabi next month.

The leaders said the call was intended to press Putin to end the war and to encourage direct negotiations. Stubb described the discussion as frank and substantive, while Støre said they stressed the importance of de-escalation. The move breaks with the usual practice of many Western European leaders, who have avoided direct contact with the Kremlin since Russia's full-scale invasion of Ukraine in 2022.

The timing is significant because the diplomatic track around the war remains unsettled. The planned Abu Dhabi talks would be the first such discussions involving Russian, Ukrainian and US officials since February, according to the supplied material. The call also comes amid strained US-Ukraine ties and after US President Donald Trump shifted his position in favour of Russia, adding pressure on European allies to find ways to influence the process.

Finland and Norway both border Russia and have been among Ukraine's strongest political supporters. Their leaders said the outcome of the war would have a direct impact on Nordic and wider European security. That makes the call more than a symbolic gesture: it reflects concern in northern Europe that the conflict is shaping the region's security environment as long-range strikes continue and front lines remain largely static.

The broader backdrop is a war that has now lasted more than four years, with Moscow and Kyiv still far apart on the terms of any settlement. The supplied material says both sides have increased long-range air strikes this year while battlefield lines have changed little. It also notes that the leaders' initiative was linked to a wider diplomatic effort, rather than a standalone attempt to open a new channel with Moscow.

The call has also drawn attention because it involved two neighbouring countries speaking directly to Putin at a sensitive moment in the conflict. Stubb and Støre later briefed Zelenskyy, underlining that they were acting in support of Ukraine rather than as intermediaries on behalf of Europe as a whole. Their offices said the purpose was to push Russia to come to the negotiating table in earnest and to promote peace and stability in Europe.

What remains unclear is whether the contact will produce any change in Moscow's position or in the format of the planned talks. The Kremlin's readout did not indicate a shift away from its existing stance, and the supplied material says the two sides remain far apart. The next developments to watch are whether the Abu Dhabi meeting goes ahead as planned and whether further direct contacts follow.

Finnish President Alexander Stubb and Norwegian Prime Minister Jonas Gahr Støre have held a rare 90-minute phone call with Russian President Vladimir Putin about the war in Ukraine. The conversation was followed by a separate call with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy, according to the Nordic leaders. The exchange comes as preparations continue for planned Russia-Ukraine-US talks in Abu Dhabi next month.

The leaders said the call was intended to press Putin to end the war and to encourage direct negotiations. Stubb described the discussion as frank and substantive, while Støre said they stressed the importance of de-escalation. The move breaks with the usual practice of many Western European leaders, who have avoided direct contact with the Kremlin since Russia's full-scale invasion of Ukraine in 2022.

The timing is significant because the diplomatic track around the war remains unsettled. The planned Abu Dhabi talks would be the first such discussions involving Russian, Ukrainian and US officials since February, according to the supplied material. The call also comes amid strained US-Ukraine ties and after US President Donald Trump shifted his position in favour of Russia, adding pressure on European allies to find ways to influence the process.

Finland and Norway both border Russia and have been among Ukraine's strongest political supporters. Their leaders said the outcome of the war would have a direct impact on Nordic and wider European security. That makes the call more than a symbolic gesture: it reflects concern in northern Europe that the conflict is shaping the region's security environment as long-range strikes continue and front lines remain largely static.

The broader backdrop is a war that has now lasted more than four years, with Moscow and Kyiv still far apart on the terms of any settlement. The supplied material says both sides have increased long-range air strikes this year while battlefield lines have changed little. It also notes that the leaders' initiative was linked to a wider diplomatic effort, rather than a standalone attempt to open a new channel with Moscow.

The call has also drawn attention because it involved two neighbouring countries speaking directly to Putin at a sensitive moment in the conflict. Stubb and Støre later briefed Zelenskyy, underlining that they were acting in support of Ukraine rather than as intermediaries on behalf of Europe as a whole. Their offices said the purpose was to push Russia to come to the negotiating table in earnest and to promote peace and stability in Europe.

What remains unclear is whether the contact will produce any change in Moscow's position or in the format of the planned talks. The Kremlin's readout did not indicate a shift away from its existing stance, and the supplied material says the two sides remain far apart. The next developments to watch are whether the Abu Dhabi meeting goes ahead as planned and whether further direct contacts follow.

The rare joint call by Finnish President Alexander Stubb and Norwegian Prime Minister Jonas Gahr Støre to Russian President Vladimir Putin has triggered a public split among Nordic leaders over how to handle diplomacy on Ukraine. Denmark and Sweden criticised the move after the call became public, arguing that Moscow has shown no sign of serious intent to end the war. The exchange has drawn attention because it involved two of Russia's northern neighbours speaking directly to the Kremlin at a sensitive moment in the conflict.

Stubb and Støre said they initiated the call themselves and stressed that they were not speaking on behalf of Europe as a whole. According to their read-out, they urged Putin to end the full-scale invasion of Ukraine and engage in meaningful negotiations for a stable settlement. Stubb described the discussion as frank and substantive, while Støre said the war's human and material costs would affect generations.

They later phoned Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy, who thanked them for their active support. The backlash was led by Danish Prime Minister Mette Frederiksen, who said she was highly sceptical of what she called an independent initiative that had not been coordinated with others. She said she saw no signs that Russia wanted peace, citing both the war in Ukraine and what she described as daily hybrid warfare.

Swedish Prime Minister Ulf Kristersson also questioned the value of the overture, though in less forceful terms. The Kremlin's own statement after the call echoed Putin's hard line, reinforcing doubts that the contact had shifted Moscow's position. The episode matters because Finland and Norway both border Russia and have been among Ukraine's strongest supporters politically and economically.

Any direct contact with Putin by western leaders remains unusual, especially as European governments continue to balance pressure, deterrence and diplomacy. The call also comes after recent peace talks in Oslo, underlining that efforts to open a negotiating track are continuing even as public divisions emerge over the best way to do so. The wider context is Russia's full-scale invasion of Ukraine, which has reshaped security thinking across northern Europe since 2022.

Stubb has argued that there is no military solution to the war and that its outcome will directly affect Nordic and broader European security. The leaders' offices said the call was intended to press Russia to come to the negotiating table in earnest, while also making clear that the initiative was their own rather than a collective European move. What remains unclear is whether the call will lead to any practical change in the diplomatic process or simply deepen disagreement among Ukraine's supporters.

No new commitments from Moscow were disclosed, and Putin's public remarks suggested continued resistance to compromise. The next developments to watch are whether further contacts follow and whether the recent talks in Oslo can produce a more coherent negotiating track.

Finnish President Alexander Stubb said he and Norwegian Prime Minister Jonas Gahr Støre held a rare joint phone call with Russian President Vladimir Putin on Tuesday from Helsinki. The conversation focused on future negotiations aimed at ending the war in Ukraine, according to the two Nordic leaders' offices. They said the initiative was not being carried out on behalf of Europe as a whole.

Stubb described the exchange as frank and substantive, while Støre said the war carries enormous human and material costs and that the suffering and destruction will affect generations. After the call, Putin said what he called confrontational European Union and NATO policies were prolonging the war. Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky later spoke with the two Nordic leaders, after having met them last week in Oslo along with US special envoy Steve Witkoff.

The call adds to a series of recent diplomatic contacts around the conflict, including discussions in Oslo on 20 October that were followed by Witkoff's trip to St Petersburg to meet Putin. Stubb said the purpose was to press Russia to come to the negotiating table in earnest, and he repeated that there is no military solution to the war. He also said the outcome of the conflict will have a direct impact on Nordic and wider European security.

The exchange is notable because Finland and Norway both border Russia and have been among Ukraine's strongest supporters politically and economically. Their leaders said they initiated the call to discuss Russia's war of aggression against Ukraine and diplomatic efforts to end the war and promote peace and stability in Europe. The contact also comes as the United States, Ukraine and European allies continue to navigate a difficult diplomatic environment around possible talks.

The conversation took place against the backdrop of Russia's full-scale invasion of Ukraine, which began in 2022 and has reshaped security calculations across northern Europe. Stubb and Støre said they were acting from their own initiative rather than as representatives of the wider continent, underlining how unusual direct engagement with Putin remains for European leaders. Zelensky said part of his discussions with the Nordic leaders centred on upcoming trilateral talks due to be held in Abu Dhabi in November.

What remains unclear is whether the call will lead to any concrete change in the pace or format of negotiations. The leaders did not disclose any new commitments from Moscow, and Putin's public remarks suggested continued disagreement over responsibility for the war. The next point to watch is whether the planned talks in Abu Dhabi produce movement on a broader diplomatic track or simply confirm the current deadlock.

Finnish President Alexander Stubb said on 27 October 2026 that he and Norwegian Prime Minister Jonas Gahr Støre held a phone call with Russian President Vladimir Putin earlier that morning. He said the call was a follow-up to their meeting in Oslo last week and was carried out in consultation with Ukraine.

Stubb told the Nordic Council Session in Helsinki that there were no surprises in the positions Putin put forward. He described the purpose of the call as delivering messages from Finland and Norway as Ukraine's strong supporters and neighbours of Russia.

According to Stubb, the central message was that Putin should come to the negotiating table in earnest. He said there is no military solution to the war.

He added that continuing the war harms everybody. Stubb said Russia would not wear them out.

He said Ukraine will prevail and their support will prevail. He framed the exchange as part of broader efforts to push for negotiations rather than continued fighting.

He then shifted to Nordic cooperation, saying he wanted to speak at the Nordic Council Session about that subject. He said the forum had long been a place where friends meet and where common ground has been found through dialogue, even in difficult times.

Stubb said the Nordic countries still have reason to face the future with confidence, but that times are tough and tougher than before. He said he would highlight three reasons for confidence: stronger Nordic unity, the importance of cooperation in a changing world, and the region's mutual trust, shared values and long tradition of joint problem-solving.

He said the issue is not whether more Nordic cooperation is needed, but how to make it more effective. He said the Nordic people have already made their views clear and pointed to survey data he cited from April 2026 and from a separate 2026 study supported by the Nordic Council of Ministers.

Stubb said a study published by the Finnish Business and Policy Forum EVA in April 2026 showed that 67 per cent of Finns want Nordic cooperation to play a greater role in Finland's foreign policy. He said that in the Nordic Council of Ministers-supported study, between 79 and 85 per cent of respondents in Finland, Sweden, Norway and Denmark said Nordic cooperation strengthens their trust in the future.

He said these were not weak signals but clear messages, and that Nordic cooperation enjoys strong support and high trust among citizens. He said that trust is precious, but not the goal in itself, because it is capital that must be used wisely.

He said people expect tangible results. Stubb said the world around the Nordic countries makes cooperation necessary.

He said the security environment has changed, and that an eastern neighbour is waging an illegal war. He said the Nordic countries are among Ukraine's strongest supporters, both economically and politically, together and separately.

He also referred to the political environment and congratulated the Kingdom of Denmark and Greenland, as well as Prime Minister Frederiksen and Prime Minister Nielsen, on the agreement they reached with the United States. He said they still had Finland's full support.

Stubb said competition between major powers is intensifying and that financial dependencies are being used as an instrument of coercion. He said technological transformation, climate change and energy security require investments, expertise and solutions that the Nordic countries can find together.

He said the region should not isolate itself, but join forces on preparedness, collective defence, resilient supply chains, research, technology and capital. He said the Nordic countries already have what matters most for cooperation: trust and shared values.

He said the Nordic Council was established in 1952, when Europe was still recovering from the Second World War, and that Finland joined in 1955. He said the Nordic countries chose cooperation over isolation and built a shared political space without giving up national identities.

Stubb said the Nordic countries are united by democracy, the rule of law, equality, freedom, education and strong institutions. He said they have long experience in cooperating without losing identity or decision-making power, which he called a major advantage in a world where trust cannot be taken for granted.

He said the Nordic countries have support from their people, a strong need for cooperation and a deep-rooted sense of mutual trust, but have not yet met all expectations. He said concrete action is needed and identified two priorities: a more secure and crisis-resilient Nordic region, and stronger economic, technological and political influence around the globe.

On security, Stubb said the Nordic countries share the same security environment and need more than national solutions to prevent threats. He said they are strengthening security through NORDEFCO, NATO and JEF membership, and through intensified bilateral defence cooperation.

He said Finland's and Sweden's NATO memberships have strengthened their ability to act together in the transatlantic security community. He said the alliance sees the Nordic countries as model allies and that gives them a seat at the table.

He said the region is already among the most integrated in the world on defence cooperation, but can go further by improving preparedness and protecting critical infrastructure. He called for close cooperation in cybersecurity, security of supply, energy and supply chains.

Stubb said the Baltic Sea region must be examined as a whole, making NB8 cooperation with the Baltic countries especially important. He said that in a world where anything can be weaponised, the Nordic countries must identify critical dependencies and ask whether they rely too much on individual suppliers for raw materials, pharmaceutical technology or telecommunications.

He said the Nordic countries can complement each other, and that the strength of one can offset the vulnerability of another. He also said they should consider where others depend on them, noting Finland and Sweden's expertise in network technology, Denmark's role in maritime and pharmaceutical industries, Iceland's strategic location, and Norway's strengths in finance, energy and technology.

Stubb said the Nordic countries should strengthen their strategic position together in network technologies, quantum computing, space technology and digital infrastructure. He said this also applies to the defence industry, energy and other strategically important sectors, and that the region must move from risk management to building its own strengths.

On influence, he said small countries have limited raw power but can still have significant influence. He said the job is to strengthen the Nordic countries' economic, technological and political weight and to identify areas where cooperation can achieve what none could accomplish alone.

He said Europe needs investments, new technologies and stronger production capacity, and that the Nordic countries can be part of the solution. He cited the Nordic business community's Nordic Compass initiative as a platform focused on competitiveness, investments and technological competence.

Stubb said the Nordic countries must strengthen their collective voice in international politics through the European Union, NATO and the UN. He said Nordic cooperation is meant to reinforce, not compete with, those structures.

He said the Nordic countries together constitute a major player whose voice commands attention. He said the Nordic region's impact does not come from agreement on every issue, but from identifying shared interests and acting on them.

He ended by asking whether the region has lived up to people's expectations, made the Nordic region more secure, and strengthened its collective influence, and said the answer must be yes. He closed by calling for a Nordic region that translates shared values into action and provides the world with trustworthy solutions.

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