The leaders of Finland and Norway call Putin to seek a way out of the war in Ukraine

Finland's President Alexander Stubb and Norway's Prime Minister Jonas Gahr Støre spoke with Vladimir Putin, marking the first contact between the Russian leader and a European ally of Ukraine since July 2025. They emphasized the need for direct dialogue to end the war and discussed Baltic security. Putin insisted that peace requires full consideration of Russia's interests and accused the EU and NATO of prolonging the conflict. This diplomatic move follows pressure from Washington for Ukraine to cease attacks on Russian refineries and comes ahead of peace negotiations in Abu Dhabi. The conversation also relates to a recent meeting involving Ukrainian President Zelensky and U.S. envoy Steve Witkoff, where potential peace elements were identified.