In a bid to advance diplomatic efforts to resolve the ongoing conflict in Ukraine, Finnish President Alexander Stubb and Norwegian Prime Minister Jonas Gahr Støre engaged in separate discussions with Russian President Vladimir Putin and Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy. These conversations took place on Tuesday, focusing on the anticipated peace talks in Abu Dhabi slated for early November.
According to Stubb’s office, his conversation with Putin revolved around the upcoming meetings in Abu Dhabi, where Ukrainian, Russian, and U.S. negotiators are expected to hold technical-level discussions. Stubb characterized his exchange with Putin as frank and substantive, emphasizing the direct impact of the war’s outcome on Finland’s security and the broader European region. He underscored the necessity of direct discussions to achieve a resolution to the conflict.
Following these discussions, President Zelenskyy engaged in talks with both Stubb and Støre. The Nordic leaders reiterated their countries’ continued support for Ukraine and clarified that their dialogues did not represent a collective stance from all European nations. Zelenskyy’s aide confirmed the sequence of these communications.
These diplomatic engagements come on the heels of recent meetings in Oslo involving U.S. special envoy Steve Witkoff, Zelenskyy, and the Nordic leaders, as well as discussions between Witkoff and Putin in St. Petersburg. The Kremlin has signaled Russia’s openness to resuming U.S.-mediated peace negotiations with Ukraine in November, potentially marking the first such talks since February.