Zelenskyy defends Finnish and Norwegian leaders’ call with Putin
Ukraine’s president backed the leaders’ direct contact with Putin, saying it gave Europe an open channel. An Italian official warned that separate initiatives could weaken Europe’s influence.
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy defended the leaders of Finland and Norway on 27 October after they spoke with Russian President Vladimir Putin about ending the war in Ukraine, according to POLITICO Europe. His support for the call came as an Italian government official warned that separate European diplomatic initiatives could weaken the region’s influence in peace talks.
Finnish President Alexander Stubb and Norwegian Prime Minister Jonas Gahr Støre spoke with Putin for about 90 minutes. The National reported that the two leaders said they initiated the call in consultation with Ukraine to convey messages directly about future negotiations. Their conversation followed the call covered in NewsJaws’ earlier report; Zelenskyy’s public defence and the Italian response are the new developments.
Why Zelenskyy backed the call
Zelenskyy praised the two countries’ help to Ukraine and said he viewed their leaders positively, POLITICO Europe reported. He said their approach included discussions in advance, a full briefing and clear objectives. In his account, another channel would let Europe receive information directly and let Russia hear European messages without relying solely on exchanges through the United States.
He contrasted the initiative with less visible European contacts with Russia since US President Donald Trump met Putin in Alaska. The BBC reported that Stubb and Støre said they acted as leaders of countries bordering Russia, not as representatives of Europe as a whole. Zelenskyy said they briefed him after the call, and Ukrainian Foreign Minister Andrii Sybiha called their approach the right one, according to the BBC.
Europe’s dispute over who should speak to Putin
An Italian government official told POLITICO Europe that national initiatives and changing diplomatic formats risk eroding Europe’s influence. The concern was who could speak for the region with a shared mandate. Lithuania’s foreign minister, Kęstutis Budrys, also called for a united European position and clear demands in any contact with Russia, Al Jazeera reported.
The National reported that Zelenskyy said Stubb and Støre pressed Putin for steps to reduce attacks affecting Ukraine’s energy sector and infrastructure. The Kremlin’s account, cited by The National, said Putin maintained that a lasting peace required Russia’s interests to be fully taken into account. Støre said there were ‘big differences in views’ with Putin, according to the BBC.
The call was linked to tentative talks among Ukraine, Russia and the United States planned for early November in Abu Dhabi, The National and the BBC reported. The Nordic leaders’ direct contact gives Ukraine’s allies another way to convey their position before those talks, while the Italian and Lithuanian responses show the unresolved question of how Europe should coordinate its role.
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Sources and context
- Zelenskyy defends leaders of Finland and Norway over Putin talksPOLITICO Europe
- Finland and Norway leaders speak to Putin before Ukraine peace talksThe National
- Norway and Finland hold rare call with Putin to discuss ending warBBC News
- Norway and Finland hold rare phone call with Putin: What that meansAl Jazeera
AI-assisted article checked against the listed sources. NewsJaws did not conduct interviews or attend the reported events.