Finnish President Alexander Stubb and Norwegian Prime Minister Jonas Gahr Støre held a phone call with Russian President Vladimir Putin to discuss the latest developments in the war in Ukraine and possible ways to end the conflict.
According to the Office of the President of Finland, the call followed last week’s meeting in Oslo, where Stubb and Støre hosted talks between representatives of the United States and Ukraine. Both leaders are seeking to advance diplomacy to end the war Russia launched against Ukraine, the Guardian reported.
Të lidhura
None found
The official statement said the call was intended to convey direct messages to Putin about upcoming negotiations, in an effort to help bring the war to an end.
The discussion also took place ahead of planned meetings in Abu Dhabi. Trilateral negotiations between Russia, Ukraine and the United States are expected to be held there in early November.
Stubb described the conversation as “direct and substantive” and said that direct dialogue with Moscow is needed to end the war.
Støre, for his part, called for tensions to be lowered and highlighted the conflict’s heavy human and material toll. “The war has an enormous human and material cost. The suffering and destruction will affect future generations. During the phone call, we emphasized the importance of de-escalation,” he said.
Finland and Norway share a border with Russia and support Ukraine. For both countries, preserving stability and security in the Baltic Sea region and in Europe’s far north is a shared interest.
The official announcement clarified that Stubb and Støre spoke as leaders of their own countries, not on behalf of Europe as a whole.
