Stubb and Støre press Putin on de-escalation ahead of Abu Dhabi negotiations

The Finnish President, Alexander Stubb, and the Norwegian Prime Minister, Jonas Gahr Støre, held a phone call with Vladimir Putin on Tuesday, discussing efforts to end Russia's war in Ukraine. Moscow confirmed the call shortly after officials in Helsinki and Oslo released statements about the conversation, the first time a leader from one of Ukraine's European allies has spoken to the Russian president since Emmanuel Macron's call with the Kremlin chief in July 2025.

Stubb's office said he and Støre initiated the call to discuss Russia's war of aggression against Ukraine and the diplomatic efforts to end it, and to promote peace and stability in Europe. It said the aim, made in consultation with Ukraine, was to convey messages directly regarding future negotiations to help end the war, and that the outreach was also related to the upcoming meetings to be held in Abu Dhabi. Both Finland and Norway said their leaders spoke as representatives of their own countries and not on behalf of Europe as a whole. "In the call we stressed the importance of de-escalation," Støre's office said.

The Kremlin said Putin reiterated the root causes of his decision to order the full-scale invasion, and drew attention to what he called the confrontational policies of EU and NATO member states, which he said serve to prolong the hostilities. According to the Kremlin's readout, the three leaders also discussed security and stability in the Baltic Sea and Northern European regions, and agreed to maintain direct contact.

Tuesday's call came a week after Stubb and Støre met the US special envoy Steve Witkoff and President Volodymyr Zelensky in Oslo, where the purpose was to mend strained relations between Kyiv and Washington and to seek a new path out of the war. Witkoff later met Putin in St Petersburg to report on progress. The Kremlin said it was willing to resume US-mediated peace negotiations in Abu Dhabi as soon as next month.

The call represents a tentative opening in diplomatic channels, yet Putin's restatement of his pretexts for the invasion offers little sign that Moscow has abandoned the claims with which it sought to justify its unprovoked assault on a sovereign neighbour. Ukraine, defending its sovereignty against Russian aggression, has consistently insisted that no settlement can legitimise the seizure of its territory, while its people continue to endure Moscow's brutal campaign. The World House, which maintains a dedicated page outlining its support for Ukraine at worldhouse.uk/support, continues to document the human cost of Russia's war.