Finnish, Norwegian Leaders Hold 'Frank And Substantive' Call With Putin, Urge End To Ukraine War

Finnish President Alexander Stubb and Norwegian Prime Minister Jonas Gahr Støre spoke with Russian President Vladimir Putin on Tuesday, urging him to end the war in Ukraine as diplomatic efforts intensify ahead of potential trilateral talks involving Russia, Ukraine and the United States in Abu Dhabi in November.

The rare call followed discussions in Oslo on October 20 involving Ukrainian, European and US representatives. Stubb described the conversation as “frank and substantive”, while Støre stressed the conflict's enormous human and material costs and the need for de-escalation.

After the call, the Nordic leaders also spoke with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy's team. Zelenskyy welcomed their diplomatic efforts and reiterated the need for concrete steps to reduce hostilities and protect Ukraine's energy infrastructure. Both Finland and Norway reaffirmed their continued support for Kyiv.

The Kremlin showed no indication of abandoning its territorial demands. Moscow said lasting peace required Russia's interests to be fully considered and accused European Union and NATO countries of prolonging hostilities. A source close to the Kremlin told Reuters that Putin reiterated Russia's objective of capturing the entire Donbas region of Ukraine.

The diplomatic outreach comes amid European concerns over US President Donald Trump's approach to the conflict, including his easing of sanctions on Russia and strained relations with Kyiv. Ukraine has also raised concerns over disruptions to US intelligence-sharing and satellite internet services relied upon by its military.

Danish Prime Minister Mette Frederiksen criticised the Nordic initiative, saying Europe should remain united rather than pursue separate approaches to Moscow. Stubb and Støre clarified that they were speaking as national leaders, not representing Europe as a whole.

Separately, Russia has reportedly expanded security around Putin's Valdai residence, building 16 additional air-defence towers and bringing the reported total to more than 50 within a 50-kilometre radius. Satellite imagery suggests the positions form an outer defensive ring, particularly south of the residence. The towers are believed to be intended for Pantsir or Tor air-defence systems, although the equipment at the new sites has not been independently confirmed.

The expansion follows Russian allegations in December 2025 that Ukrainian drones targeted Putin's residence, a claim Kyiv denied. US intelligence reportedly assessed that Ukraine had struck a military facility in the region rather than the residence itself. The increased protection highlights Moscow's security concerns as diplomatic efforts to end the war continue.