The conversation took place at the initiative of Støre and Stubb, according to a joint press release. The agenda was the war in Ukraine and negotiations to end it.
It was a straightforward conversation with substance, the press release states.
"The purpose of the conversation was to convey messages directly to President Putin about future negotiations to end the war. The conversation was linked to the meeting planned for Abu Dhabi."
Made a counteroffer
In recent weeks, new attempts have been made to start peace negotiations between Ukraine and Russia, which invaded the country, with new mediation efforts and pressure from the United States.
Støre and Stubb hosted and took part in a meeting between Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy and US Special Envoy Steve Witkoff in Oslo last week.
The two Nordic leaders and Zelenskyy then said they had come up with a counteroffer with new proposals, which Witkoff took with him when he traveled on to St. Petersburg. One proposal was for Zelenskyy, Putin and US President Donald Trump to meet to discuss the matter - at a time when Putin and Trump had expressed interest in holding their own trilateral meeting with Chinese leader Xi Jinping.
The idea is for Ukraine and Russia to meet with the United States in Abu Dhabi in early November.
Not for all of Europe
Støre and Stubb’s direct contact with Putin is the first in a long time between a European ally of Ukraine and Russia’s top leader. The last publicly known contact was when Emmanuel Macron spoke to him in July last year.
This is happening against a backdrop of the US becoming increasingly critical of Ukraine. Ukraine’s other allies in Europe and NATO have been seeking a common voice and a spokesperson who can take a seat at the negotiating table.
When the Norwegian prime minister and the Finnish president stood next to Zelenskyy in Oslo last week, they said they were willing to do whatever it took to end the war. They referred to their good relationship with each other, but also to the fact that both their countries border Russia.
In the press release after the phone call, they emphasized that they spoke to Putin as leaders of their respective countries - "not as representatives of all of Europe."
