Nordic Leaders Urge Putin to End Ukraine War in Rare Direct Contact
In a rare move, the leaders of Finland and Norway have held a direct phone call with Russian President Vladimir Putin, urging him to end the war in Ukraine. The 90-minute call, made by Finnish President Alexander Stubb and Norwegian Prime Minister Jonas Gahr Stoere, marked a break with the longstanding practice among Western European leaders of shunning direct contact with the Kremlin.
The call was an attempt to influence the diplomatic process, which has been stalled since US President Donald Trump shifted his position in favor of Russia and US ties with Ukraine hit their lowest point in 18 months. The Nordic leaders spoke to Putin and then to Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy, stressing the importance of de-escalation and their strong support for Ukraine.
"We are neighboring countries to Russia. The outcome of this war will have a direct impact on our and the broader European security. Ending the war requires direct discussions," Stubb said in a joint statement with Stoere. The Norwegian Prime Minister added that the war comes with "enormous human and material costs" and that the suffering and destruction will impact generations.
The Kremlin's readout of the call did not suggest any softening of Putin's position, with the Russian leader reiterating that achieving a just and long-term peace is possible only if the legitimate interests of the Russian Federation are fully and unconditionally taken into account.
The move by the Nordic leaders has been met with criticism from some European leaders, with Danish Prime Minister Mette Frederiksen saying that she sees no signs that Russia wants peace and that Europe should stick together rather than going solo.
