In brief

• Danish PM Mette Frederiksen questioned the coordination of the recent call between Nordic leaders and Russia's President.
• Norway's PM Jonas Gahr Støre defended the dialogue, stating the EU lacks a unified strategy for talks with Russia.
• Swedish PM Ulf Kristersson expressed low expectations for the discussions, citing risks of dividing the European stance.
• President Zelensky conveyed to Putin the need for concrete steps regarding de-escalation of Ukraine's energy infrastructure.

Denmark Questions the Initiative

She stated, she observed no indication that Russia desires peace with Europe, citing the ongoing daily hybrid warfare against European states and intense assaults on Ukraine (Прем'єр Данії скептично оцінила розмову лідерів Фінляндії та Норвегії з Путіним – Українська правда). Frederiksen, who was in Finland for a meeting of Nordic foreign ministers on October 27-28, argued that Europe must maintain unity instead of acting independently.

Norway and Finland Defend the Call

Norway's Prime Minister Jonas Gahr Støre refuted the criticism. He pointed out that over the four years since the full-scale invasion, the European Union has failed to establish a unified message or strategy for discussions with Russia. Støre clarified that he and Stubb spoke to Putin representing their respective nations, not all Europeans (Прем’єр Норвегії відреагував на критику від Данії через розмову з Путіним – Європейська правда). He added that the subject was discussed carefully and all allies were notified beforehand. Stubb reported the conversation lasted approximately 90 minutes and followed a meeting in Oslo on October 20, which was conducted in coordination with Ukraine (Президент Фінляндії заявив, що дзвінок Путіну готували спільно з Україною – Європейська правда) (Президент Фінляндії заявив, що дзвінок Путіну готували спільно з Україною – Українська правда). He characterized the discussion as professional and direct, emphasizing the importance for border countries like Finland and Norway to convey direct messages to the Russian president. Norway's foreign minister, Espen Barth Eide, stated there is no conflict between supporting Ukraine financially and militarily while simultaneously seeking a peace agreement, noting that Kyiv itself has called for negotiations (Глава МЗС Норвегії: нема суперечності в тому, щоб допомагати Україні і намагатися досягти миру – Європейська правда).

Sweden's Skeptical View

Swedish Prime Minister Ulf Kristersson mentioned learning about the call only shortly before it commenced and had not yet received a briefing on its content. He expressed low expectations for such discussions, caution that negotiations capable of dividing the European stance carry risks, although he specified he did not claim such a division occurred (Прем’єр Швеції про розмову європейців з Путіним: у мене нема великих сподівань – Європейська правда).

Reported Content of the Call

Financial Times, referencing three individuals familiar with the call, indicated that Putin dedicated the majority of the discussion to what the Kremlin terms the fundamental causes of the conflict, and an immediate ceasefire was barely addressed (ЗМІ: Путін читав "лекцію з історії" лідерам Норвегії та Фінляндії під час розмови – Європейська правда).

Read also

• Nordic Leaders Speak with Putin on Ukraine; Danish Premier Calls for European Unity