World · Europe · 2 hrs ago
Stubb says call with Putin opened a channel for Ukraine
Finland’s Alexander Stubb and Norway’s Jonas Gahr Støre spoke by phone with Russia’s Vladimir Putin on October 27.
Stubb said the call was made at Ukraine’s request to open a communication channel with Moscow.
Ukraine wanted its position conveyed directly, while the leaders also discussed efforts to resolve the war.
Stubb said the conversation gave Finland direct information about Russia’s view of the conflict for the first time in a long while.
He called the call an important change in Finnish foreign policy, but stressed that Finland is not acting as a mediator and will keep supporting Ukraine.
The leaders also discussed stability in the Baltic Sea and the far north.
Trilateral talks involving Russia, Ukraine and the United States are due to resume in Abu Dhabi in the first half of November.
Finnish President Alexander Stubb said a call with Russian President Vladimir Putin opened a channel of communication at Ukraine’s request.
Stubb and Norwegian Prime Minister Jonas Gahr Store spoke with Putin on October 27.
Stubb said the call allowed them to receive Russia’s position directly and pass messages from Ukraine to Moscow.
He said other European countries were aware of the conversation, and that Finland was not acting as a mediator.
The leaders also discussed efforts to resolve the war in Ukraine and welcomed plans to resume trilateral talks in Abu Dhabi.
- Who
- Finnish President Alexander Stubb and Norwegian Prime Minister Jonas Gahr Store called Russian President Vladimir Putin.
- What
- They discussed efforts to resolve the war in Ukraine. Stubb said the call opened a communication channel at Ukraine’s request.
- When
- October 27, 2026.
- Where
- The call was by phone. The planned trilateral talks are to take place in Abu Dhabi.
- Why
- At Ukraine’s request, to open a channel of communication with Moscow and convey messages from Ukraine.
Finland and Norway
Denmark
Coordination
Finland and Norway
The two Nordic leaders made the call, which SCMP said was initiated ahead of renewed peace negotiations.
Denmark
Denmark criticized the call over the lack of broader European coordination.
Stubb and Store spoke by phone with Putin.
Stubb said the call had been made at Ukraine’s request to open a channel of communication with Moscow.
Russia, Ukraine and the United States were expected to resume trilateral talks in Abu Dhabi.
- Call date
- October 27, 2026
- Participants
- Alexander Stubb, Jonas Gahr Store and Vladimir Putin
- Purpose
- Open a communication channel at Ukraine’s request
- Planned talks
- Russia, Ukraine and the United States in Abu Dhabi
- Talks timing
- First half of November 2026
3 sources
What people are saying
This was about opening a channel of communication at Ukraine’s request
Finland is not acting as a mediator
We had the opportunity to directly pass messages from the Ukrainians to the Russians