On October 27th, Finnish President Saarinen and Norwegian Prime Minister Stoltenberg had a conversation with Russian President Putin. This is the first direct contact between the two sides since February 2022.
According to official statements from Norway and Finland, this call was conducted after consultations with the Ukrainian side. Stubb and Steller initiated the call with the aim of discussing the Russo-Ukrainian war, as well as the expected trilateral talks between Russia, Ukraine, and the United States that will take place in Abu Dhabi, United Arab Emirates, in November.
The two countries stated that these two European leaders represent their respective countries, but not Europe as a whole.
Stubb said: "The discussion was honest and substantive. We are all neighboring countries of Russia. The outcome of this war will directly affect our own security, as well as that of Europe as a whole. To end this war, it is necessary to engage in direct dialogue."
Steller said, "This war has caused massive casualties and material losses. The suffering and destruction brought about by the war will affect generations to come. In this conversation, we emphasized the importance of easing the situation."
Previously, on October 20th, two Nordic leaders met with Ukrainian President Zelensky and U.S. Special Envoy Steve Witckow in Oslo.
According to Ukrainian sources, after Finnish and Norwegian leaders spoke by phone with Russian President Putin, Zelenskyy had a conversation with these two leaders.
