Finland, Norway Call Putin on Ukraine War as Europe Breaks 4-Year Contact Freeze
Updated
Updated · NBC News · Oct 27
Finland, Norway Call Putin on Ukraine War as Europe Breaks 4-Year Contact Freeze
3 articles · Updated · NBC News · Oct 27
Summary
Alexander Stubb and Jonas Gahr Stoere said they directly urged Vladimir Putin to end the Ukraine war, then briefed Volodymyr Zelenskyy after the call.
The outreach broke with Western Europe’s practice of largely avoiding direct contact with the Kremlin since Russia’s full-scale invasion in February 2022, as Helsinki and Oslo argued the war directly affects Nordic and European security.
The move also reflected concern that Donald Trump has tilted toward Moscow and that U.S.-Ukraine ties have sunk to an 18-month low, leaving European governments sidelined in peace efforts.
The Kremlin gave no sign of movement, saying peace requires Russia’s interests to be fully met and blaming EU and NATO policies for prolonging the fighting.
Denmark’s Mette Frederiksen criticized the call as Europe going “solo,” underscoring divisions over whether direct engagement with Putin can advance peace.