Stubb: Putin Call With Norway's Støre Was Coordinated With Ukraine
Finnish President Alexander Stubb said on Tuesday, October 27, that the phone call he and Norwegian Prime Minister Jonas Gahr Støre held with Russian leader Vladimir Putin was made in cooperation with Ukraine. Stubb spoke before addressing the Nordic Council in the Finnish parliament, according to Yle, cited by European Pravda.
As we reported, the two leaders called Putin on their own initiative and then phoned Zelensky. Stubb now describes the call as a continuation of the meeting in Oslo on October 20.
Allies informed before and after
"The conversation lasted about an hour and a half and followed on from the meeting in Oslo that we held on October 20. It took place in cooperation with Ukraine," Stubb said. He added that key allies were told about the call in advance. "Before the call we briefed key allies, including all the Nordic Council countries, and we also reported on the content of the conversation once it ended," he said.
After the call, President Volodymyr Zelensky received a briefing of roughly 30 minutes on how it went. "We discussed the key issues and the messages that we had agreed the previous evening before the call," Stubb said.
Why the two leaders called
Stubb described the talk with Putin as "professional and direct". In his words, he and Støre considered it important that border states such as Finland and Norway clarify questions that could lead to misunderstandings, and deliver direct messages to the Russian president from the point of view of the Nordic countries.
He said Norway and Finland will keep supporting Ukraine and work toward a lasting and just peace. According to Stubb, the call has also cleared the way for a meeting involving the United States, Ukraine, Russia and European countries, which is to take place in Abu Dhabi in November.
Reactions so far
Zelensky said earlier that Stubb and Støre told Putin clearly that real de-escalation steps were needed for Ukraine's energy infrastructure. Not everyone in Europe welcomed the call: Danish Prime Minister Mette Frederiksen said she was very skeptical and that the initiative had not been agreed with other European countries. More in our World section.