Nordic leaders hold direct talks with Putin on Ukraine peace efforts

The heads of state of Finland and Norway held a phone call with Russian President Vladimir Putin on Tuesday to examine avenues toward ending the war in Ukraine, acting in consultation with the government in Kyiv.

Finnish President Alexander Stubb and Norwegian Prime Minister Jonas Gahr Store jointly arranged the conversation to deliver direct points to Moscow ahead of planned trilateral negotiations involving Russia, Ukraine and the United States in Abu Dhabi scheduled for early next month. Officials from those countries have previously met intermittently, including two sessions held in Abu Dhabi earlier this year.

In a joint statement, the two Nordic leaders confirmed their enduring commitment to Ukraine and urged an immediate shift toward peace talks. Store pointed out that the conflict continues to inflict massive human and material destruction with consequences lasting generations, emphasizing the necessity of immediate de-escalation.

According to Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy, the two leaders also pressed Putin directly to halt strikes against Ukraine's civilian infrastructure and energy grid. Following their communication, Stubb described the exchange with Putin as frank and substantive, arguing that ending hostilities demands direct dialogue.

A Kremlin readout indicated that Putin insisted any sustainable resolution would require the full and unconditional consideration of Russia's legitimate interests. The Russian government confirmed that all three participants agreed to keep lines of phone communication open.

The diplomatic engagement comes amid broader pushes to reactivate peace diplomacy as the invasion continues into its fifth year. Last week, Steve Witkoff, a special envoy for US President Donald Trump, met with Putin in St. Petersburg following discussions in Oslo with Zelenskyy and the leaders of Norway and Finland.

The discussion marks the first high-level communication between Putin and pro-Kyiv European leaders since French President Emmanuel Macron had a call with the Russian leader in July of last year. Both Stubb and Store pointed to their shared geographical borders with Russia to underline their direct stake in regional stability across the Baltic Sea and High North.

The initiative nevertheless triggered dissent within Scandinavia. Danish Prime Minister Mette Frederiksen voiced skepticism over the exchange during an interview with broadcaster TV2, characterizing it as an uncoordinated solo move that had not been cleared across the broader European alliance.

The diplomatic movement unfolds alongside severe battlefield hardship and widespread aerial bombardments. United Nations human rights monitors reported that civilian casualties across Ukraine surged by 85 percent in September, recording at least 328 dead and 2,105 injured. In Kyiv, an overnight strike near a university dormitory killed one person and wounded 14 others, according to city officials. Ukraine has simultaneously launched long-range drone strikes at Russian industrial and defense facilities, including sites located thousands of kilometers from the front lines.