Stubb and Støre Call Putin: Nordic Leaders Report ‘Big Differences’

Finnish President Alexander Stubb and Norwegian Prime Minister Jonas Gahr Støre held a rare 90-minute phone call with Vladimir Putin on Tuesday, urging the Russian president to end the war in Ukraine, in the first direct contact between European leaders and the Kremlin in more than a year. The two leaders said they spoke only for Finland and Norway, not for Europe as a whole, and the move drew a cool response from some Nordic neighbours.

The call came days before planned talks between the United States, Ukraine and Russia, tentatively expected in Abu Dhabi in early November.

What Did Stubb and Støre Tell Putin?

According to a joint statement published by the Finnish presidency and the Norwegian government, the call was made from Helsinki on 27 October, in consultation with Ukraine and following up a meeting in Oslo on 20 October with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky and US envoy Steve Witkoff. The leaders urged an end to Russia’s war, de-escalation and a return to negotiations, and stressed their continued support for Ukraine. They also raised stability in the Baltic Sea and the High North, where both countries share long borders or sea areas with Russia.

Stubb described the conversation as “frank and substantive”, while Støre acknowledged there were still “big differences in views” with Putin, the BBC reported. NBC News described the call as a break with Europe’s previous stance of avoiding direct contact with Putin since Russia’s full-scale invasion in 2022.

What Did the Kremlin Say?

The Kremlin’s readout said the conversation covered efforts towards a peace settlement in Ukraine, maritime security and the possibility of further direct contacts. Putin reiterated that any settlement must take Russia’s interests into account “fully and unconditionally”, according to the BBC, a position Kyiv and its allies have long rejected as a demand for Ukrainian concessions.

How Did Other European Leaders React?

The reaction was mixed. Sweden’s Prime Minister Ulf Kristersson said Europe should act together rather than “go solo”, according to the BBC, and Euronews reported that the initiative had exposed differences between Finland and Norway on one side and Denmark and Sweden on the other. Poland’s Prime Minister Donald Tusk was more positive, saying Stubb had briefed him that Europe was “moderately optimistic” ahead of the Abu Dhabi talks and that Finland and Norway had stressed the security of NATO’s eastern flank.

Stubb and Støre are the first European leaders to speak directly to Putin since France’s Emmanuel Macron in July 2025, according to the BBC.

What Is Happening on the Ground?

The diplomacy comes as fighting continues. Zelensky said on Tuesday that Ukrainian forces were retaking territory through several operations and that Kyiv’s battlefield position was the strongest it had been for some time, The Guardian reported. At the same time, Russian missiles damaged Kyiv’s Southern Bridge and a university campus overnight, in what Zelensky called “a serious escalation” against Ukrainian logistics. A localised ceasefire around Oleshky in the south appeared to be holding.

The Guardian also reported that ties between Washington and Kyiv had been strained after US President Donald Trump agreed to buy Russian diesel. Witkoff, who leads US contacts with Moscow, has previously met Putin in Russia, as covered in our report on Witkoff’s St Petersburg talks.

What Happens Next?

• Abu Dhabi talks: Trilateral US–Ukraine–Russia talks are tentatively planned for early November in the United Arab Emirates.
• European coordination: Finland and Norway are expected to brief EU and NATO partners, who remain divided over whether to open their own channels to Moscow.
• Security concerns: Both countries will keep pressing for guarantees on Baltic and Arctic security, regions where tension with Russia has grown since Finland joined NATO in 2023.

Whether the call shifts Moscow’s position remains doubtful, but it signals that some European capitals want a direct say in talks so far led by Washington.

Featured image: Jonas Gahr Støre (left) and Alexander Stubb at the Nordic Council session in 2009, when both were foreign ministers, by Johannes Jansson / norden.org via Wikimedia Commons, CC BY 2.5 DK. File photo.

Sources

• Office of the President of Finland — President Stubb and Prime Minister Støre held a phone call with President Putin (27 October 2026).
• Government of Norway — President Stubb and Prime Minister Støre held a call with President Putin (27 October 2026).
• President of Russia — Telephone conversation with President of Finland Alexander Stubb and Prime Minister of Norway Jonas Gahr Störe (27 October 2026).
• BBC News — Norway and Finland hold rare call with Putin to discuss ending war (27 October 2026).
• Euronews — Putin call pits Finland and Norway against Denmark and Sweden (27 October 2026).
• NBC News — Leaders of Norway, Finland hold rare call with Putin in break with previous European stance (27 October 2026).
• The Guardian — Ukraine war briefing: Kyiv retaking territory, Zelenskyy says, as Nordic leaders urge Putin to end the conflict (28 October 2026).