Norway and Finland leaders held a rare phone call with Russian President Vladimir Putin, aiming to discuss the future of peace talks on Ukraine. The call follows a meeting in Oslo with Ukrainian, European, and U.S. officials. The leaders emphasized that they did not speak on behalf of Europe as a whole.
The call was held in Helsinki and focused on Russia's war of aggression against Ukraine. Both leaders stressed the importance of direct discussions to end the war. Putin reaffirmed the need to consider Russia's legal interests in any peace settlement. The leaders also agreed to continue direct communication.
The call comes ahead of trilateral peace talks in Abu Dhabi, with the EU and other countries engaging in various ways to support Ukraine. The EU has a shared interest in ending the war and achieving sustainable peace. However, some European leaders expressed skepticism about the call and called for a unified approach.
Denmark's Prime Minister expressed skepticism about the call, stating that it was not coordinated with other European leaders. She argued that Europe should speak with one voice. The EU has not commented on the talks, and there is no official reaction from the European Commission.