‘Ending The War Requires Direct Discussions’: Finland, Norway Leaders Tell Putin

Setting aside the long-standing practice of Western European leaders avoiding direct talks with the Kremlin, the leaders of Finland and Norway have held a joint call with Russian President Vladimir Putin and urged him to end the war in Ukraine.

Finnish President Alexander Stubb and Norwegian Prime Minister Jonas Gahr Støre spoke to Russian President Vladimir Putin in an effort to influence the peace process, according to Reuters.

Their call came after US President Donald Trump shifted his position in favour of Russia, while relations between Washington and Kyiv fell to their lowest point in 18 months.

Støre said the talks with Putin lasted about 90 minutes, after which the two leaders also spoke to Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskiy.

In a joint statement, the leaders said their move was linked to planned peace talks involving Russian, Ukrainian and US officials in Abu Dhabi next month. These would be the first such talks since February.

Stubb said the conversation with Putin was open and focused on key issues. "The discussion (with Putin) was frank and substantive. We are neighbouring countries to Russia. The outcome of this war will have a direct impact on our and the broader European security. Ending the war requires direct discussions," he said.

The Ceasefire Between Ukraine and Russia

Meanwhile, the temporary ceasefire announced by the first lady of the USA, Melania Trump, appeared to be holding on Tuesday in Oleshky, a city in southern Ukraine occupied by Russia. Both sides had stopped drone attacks ahead of a planned evacuation of around 2,000 civilians trapped in the city.

The truce began at 3 am in Russian-controlled Oleshky, which lies on the Dnipro River, about 5 kilometres (3 miles) from Kherson on the opposite bank. Ukrainian forces recaptured Kherson in autumn 2022.

The ceasefire in Oleshky appears to be a move by the Kremlin to win Donald Trump’s favour ahead of the trilateral meeting and next week’s US midterm elections.

Melania Trump had requested the humanitarian mission. In a post on X, she said the mission had been moved up by two days to ensure urgent aid could reach those in need.