Frederiksen Skeptical of Stubb and Støre's Call With Putin

Danish Prime Minister Mette Frederiksen said she is skeptical about the phone call that Finnish President Alexander Stubb and Norwegian Prime Minister Jonas Gahr Støre held with Russian leader Vladimir Putin on Tuesday, October 27. She spoke to Danish broadcaster DR, as relayed by European Pravda.

Frederiksen was visiting Finland, where Nordic foreign ministers meet on October 27–28.

"Not agreed with any of us"

"I am very skeptical about this initiative by Norway and Finland. It was not coordinated with any of us," Frederiksen said. She added that she sees "no signs that Russia wants peace with Europe".

She pointed to two reasons: the hybrid war that continues every day and the fierce, aggressive attacks that Russia carries out in Ukraine daily. "I think we need to keep Europe united, not act on our own," she said.

What the call was about

Stubb and Støre phoned Putin on their own initiative. Stubb called the discussion "frank and businesslike". Afterwards the two leaders held what Zelensky called a "productive" call with him. Stubb later said the conversation was coordinated with Ukraine and that key allies were informed before and after it. Earlier, we reported that the two leaders called Putin and then Zelensky.

The disagreement shows how Europe is divided over contacts with Moscow ahead of a planned meeting in Abu Dhabi in November. Follow the latest in our World section.