In a bid to advance peace negotiations, Finnish President Alexander Stubb and Norwegian Prime Minister Jonas Gahr Støre conducted separate phone discussions with Russian President Vladimir Putin and Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy. These conversations, held on Tuesday, come as part of ongoing diplomatic efforts to resolve the conflict in Ukraine.
The dialogue between Stubb and Putin primarily centered on the upcoming meetings scheduled to take place in Abu Dhabi. According to Stubb’s office, these discussions are part of technical-level talks agreed upon by Ukrainian, Russian, and US negotiators, expected to occur in early November. Stubb characterized his conversation with Putin as frank and substantive, emphasizing that the conflict’s resolution holds significant implications for Finland’s security and the broader European region. He also noted that direct negotiations are essential to ending the conflict.
Following these exchanges, an aide to Zelenskyy confirmed that the Ukrainian president had subsequent conversations with both Stubb and Støre. During these talks, the Nordic leaders reiterated their countries’ commitment to supporting Ukraine. They clarified that their discussions were independent and did not represent a collective stance of all European nations.
The recent dialogues follow a series of diplomatic meetings, including engagements in Oslo involving US special envoy Steve Witkoff, Zelenskyy, and the Nordic leaders, as well as discussions between Witkoff and Putin in St Petersburg. The Kremlin has expressed a willingness to resume US-mediated peace talks with Ukraine, potentially marking the first such negotiations since February.