Finland's president says call to Putin was coordinated with Ukraine

In brief

• Finland's president Alexander Stubb says his October 27 call with Vladimir Putin, held with Norway's prime minister, was coordinated with Ukraine and the United States.
• Stubb said the talk lasted about 90 minutes and followed an October 20 meeting in Oslo, and that the leaders conveyed positions of Nordic border states.
• Kyiv confirmed the calls were agreed with Ukraine, while Denmark's prime minister and a former Ukrainian official expressed doubts about the outcome.

Coordination with Kyiv and Washington

Finnish President Alexander Stubb said the call with Russian ruler Vladimir Putin, which he held together with Norwegian Prime Minister Jonas Gahr Store on October 27, had been agreed in advance with Ukraine and the United States (Президент Фінляндії заявив, що дзвінок Путіну готували спільно з Україною – Українська правда) (Президент Фінляндії заявив, що розмова з Путіним була узгоджена з Україною та США – Suspilne). Stubb said the conversation lasted about an hour and a half and was a follow-up to a meeting the two leaders held in Oslo on October 20 (Президент Фінляндії заявив, що дзвінок Путіну готували спільно з Україною – Європейська правда).

What the leaders told Putin

According to Stubb, the two leaders wanted to make clear to Moscow the positions of Nordic countries, which share a border with Russia, and to pass along direct messages on the path to ending the war (В Норвегії та Фінляндії пояснили, чому вирішили провести телефонну розмову з Путіним – UNIAN). Stubb described the talk as professional and direct. The Norwegian and Finnish governments said they remain committed to long-term support for Ukraine.

Kyiv's account

President Volodymyr Zelensky said Stubb and Store told Putin plainly that Russia must take real de-escalation steps regarding Ukraine's energy infrastructure. He added that the sides discussed preparations for a trilateral Ukraine-US-Russia meeting planned for November at the level of teams (Зеленський розповів, що лідери Фінляндії та Норвегії сказали Путіну під час розмови – Європейська правда). Foreign Minister Andrii Sybiha said the calls had been agreed with Ukraine and that Kyiv was ready for a partial ceasefire and a full halt to fighting, on condition that any deal be fair (Сибіга: Лідери Фінляндії та Норвегії говорили з Путіним за погодженням з Україною – Українська правда).

Doubts and reactions

Finnish Foreign Minister Elina Valtonen said Finland is not seeking a mediator role because it stands with Ukraine (Глава МЗС Фінляндії: Не прагнемо бути посередником у війні, бо стоїмо на боці України – Українська правда). Oleh Rybachuk, a former Ukrainian deputy prime minister, said the conversation brought nothing new and that Putin's position has not changed ("Ця розмова чогось нового не дала", – Рибачук про переговори лідерів Фінляндії і Норвегії з Путіним – Espreso).

Read also

• Nordic Leaders Speak with Putin on Ukraine; Danish Premier Calls for European Unity
• Finnish and Norwegian leaders speak with Putin, Helsinki says it is not seeking a mediator role