The leaders of Norway and Finland had a surprise and lengthy phone conversation with Russian President Vladimir Putin on Tuesday, part of their effort to end Russia’s war on Ukraine. The phone call wasn’t entirely well-received, but it was held “in consultation” with Ukraine.
“We are neighbouring countries to Russia,” Finland’s President Alexander Stubb said after the 90-minute conversation with Putin. “The outcome of this war will have a direct impact on our and the broader European security. Ending the war requires direct discussions.”
Norwegian Prime Minister Jonas Gahr Støre was already in Helsinki for a meeting of Nordic leaders and a session of the Nordic Council on Tuesday. It was preceded by the call to Putin that was due to last around 20 minutes but, according to Støre, went on for an hour-and-a-half.
While Stubb described the conversation as “frank and substantial,” Støre stressed how the war continues to involve “enormous human and material costs” on both sides. “The suffering and destruction will have an impact for generations,” Støre said after it was over, adding that both he and Stubb “stressed the importance of de-escalation.”
Stubb was in Oslo just a week ago, along with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky, for a meeting with the US special envoy Steve Witkoff at Støre’s residence. The talks were described as “positive” and Witkoff then flew to St Petersburg for a meeting with Putin before returning to Oslo for a debriefing with Støre.
Details of how the call between Stubb, Støre and Putin came about remained sketchy, but both Stubb and Støre were said to have initiated it “to discuss Russia’s war of aggression against Ukraine and the diplomatic efforts to end the war and promote peace and stability in Europe.” In a joint statement, the Norwegian and Finnish leaders noted how both Norway and Finland border on Russia and how both countries “are firm supporters of Ukraine.”
The aim of the call, they stated, was “to convey messages directly to President Putin regarding future negotiations to help end the war.” They also said the call was “related” to “upcoming meetings” on the war to be held in Abu Dhabi in November.
Støre is a career diplomat and former Norwegian foreign minister in Jens Stoltenberg’s governments before Stoltenberg became secretary general of NATO. Støre and Stubb stated that Norway and Finland “have always promoted peace and security in our region” and “have a shared interest in stability and predictability in the Baltic Sea region and the High North.” That clearly prompted them to initiate the call with Putin, which grabbed lots of media attention in Norway but then ran into some unexpected criticism from one of Norway’s closest allies.
The criticism came from Danish Prime Minister Mette Frederiksen, who also arrived in Helsinki on Tuesday to take part in the Nordic Council meeting. She clearly felt left out of the conversation with Putin.
“I think we should keep Europe together instead of going solo,” Frederiksen told Denmark’s TV2 and elaborated on that with reporters from throughout the Nordic region after her arrival in Finland’s capital. “I’m very skeptical of this Norwegian-Finnish initiativ,” she said, adding that the phone call to Putin had not been “coordinated with the rest of us.”
Frederiksen stressed that she sees “no sign that Russia wants peace with Europe,” either regarding what she called Russia’s “hybrid warfare that it’s conducting daily” against European countries “or against Ukraine, which is attacked aggressively with great loss of human life. I think we need to stay together on this.”
It’s unusual to see such strong public disagreement between close allies like Norway and Denmark. Støre responded by defending the phone call to Putin, stressing that it was aimed at following up last week’s meetings in Oslo with Stubb, Zelensky and the US envoy. Støre further stressed that the call to Putin was made “after close consulation with Ukraine’s President Zelensky” and after a “thorough conversation (with Zelensky) yesterday.” He and Stubb also spoke with Zelensky after Tuesday’s call to Putin.
Støre called the conversation with Putin “professional” but noted there was still “great distance” on issues between he and Stubb on the one side and Putin on the other. Støre further stressed that he and Stubb spoke only on behalf of Norway and Finland, “not on behalf of others than ourselves.”
Støre thinks a diplomatic end to the war is more important than ever, but noted that the EU continues to lack a unified approach or offer to Putin after more than four years of war. He and Stubb think it’s important that Norway and Finland, as neighbours of Russia, had the opportunity to send a message directly to Russia on Tuesday.
“In the times we’re living in now, we can’t only have the US administration as a channel for speaking with the Russian leadership,” Støre told reporters. “And we, as neighbours, have responsibility for our own interests. That’s what Stubb and I took today.”
NewsinEnglish.no/Nina Berglund
