Finnish and Norwegian leaders speak with Putin, Helsinki says it is not seeking a mediator role

In brief

• Finland's president and Norway's prime minister spoke with Vladimir Putin by phone on Tuesday, before planned ceasefire talks.
• Finland's foreign minister says Helsinki will not act as a mediator, since it has sided with Kyiv from the start.
• Moscow said Zelensky could travel to Moscow for talks with a security guarantee.

Helsinki rejects a mediator role

Finland's foreign minister, Elina Valtonen, said her country does not aim to mediate in the war in Ukraine, because it has taken Kyiv's side from the start and cannot be seen as neutral (Finlandia nie chce być mediatorem między Rosją a Ukrainą. Szefowa fińskiej dyplomacji wyjaśnia – Onet). She added that Finland is not restoring relations with Russia at present, but is ready to work toward peace (Finlandia tłumaczy się po rozmowie prezydenta z Putinem. "Zasługuje na poparcie" – Polsat News).

The call with Putin

President Alexander Stubb and Prime Minister Jonas Gahr Store spoke with Putin by phone on Tuesday. It was the first time a Finnish president had called Putin since May 2022, when Sauli Niinisto informed him that Finland had decided to join NATO after Russia's full-scale invasion in February of that year (Rozmawiali z Putinem. Dyktator dał absurdalny wykład – Wirtualna Polska).

Norway's government said the aim was to convey its position directly on future negotiations to end the war, and it stressed the human and material costs of the fighting (Ławrow demaskuje efekty rozmów z Putinem. "Wojna będzie trwała" – Wirtualna Polska). Polish Prime Minister Donald Tusk said Stubb had told him both sides had held to their positions after the call (Polska wspiera działania na rzecz przerwania ognia i zakończenia wojny – Kancelaria Prezesa Rady Ministrów).

Moscow's response

According to Kremlin adviser Yuri Ushakov, Zelensky could travel to Moscow for talks if he wished, and Russia would guarantee his security there (Putin gotowy na spotkanie z Zełenskim. Wskazał miejsce – Polsat News). Russian state agency TASS reported that the Norwegian and Finnish leaders had told Putin that Zelensky was actively interested in direct talks with him.

On Monday, Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov said the situation around Ukraine was growing more tense and that the war would continue, adding that it tended to escalate (Niepokojące oświadczenie Ławrowa. "Wojna będzie trwała" – Polsat News).

Questions over the approach

Whether the initiative will move talks forward remains open. Valtonen's comments suggest the Finnish government wants to avoid being seen as a broker, while still backing any step toward peace.

Read also

• Nordic Leaders Speak with Putin on Ukraine; Danish Premier Calls for European Unity
• European leaders held direct talks with Putin: what is known so far
• Nordic Leaders Discuss War's End with Putin; Trilateral Talks Planned for November