Norway and Finland leaders hold rare call with Putin

Finland's President Alexander Stubb and Norway's Prime Minister Jonas Gahr Støre had a rare call with Vladimir Putin to discuss ending the Ukraine war. They emphasized their initiative was not on behalf of all Europe. Putin criticized EU and NATO policies for prolonging the conflict. Ukrainian President Zelensky expressed gratitude for the support from the Nordic leaders. The call, held from Helsinki, aimed to address the war's human and material costs. Stubb and Støre are the first European leaders to contact Putin since July 2025, while Denmark's Prime Minister expressed skepticism about the dialogue.