Russian President Vladimir Putin held telephone talks Tuesday with Finnish President Alexander Stubb and Norwegian Prime Minister Jonas Gahr Støre as part of renewed diplomatic efforts to negotiate an end to the war in Ukraine, Russian state news agency TASS reported, citing Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov.
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky subsequently spoke with the Finnish and Norwegian leaders following their conversation with Putin, an aide to the Ukrainian president told Reuters. No immediate details were provided about the substance or outcome of the discussions.
Russian President Vladimir Putin
(Photo: Vyacheslav Prokofyev, Sputnik, Kremlin Pool Photo via AP)
The conversations follow a renewed diplomatic push led by U.S. President Donald Trump's special envoy Steve Witkoff, who met Putin in St. Petersburg last week. Before traveling to Russia, Witkoff held discussions in Oslo with Zelensky and the leaders of Finland and Norway.
The calls represent a rare direct exchange between Putin and senior European leaders aligned with Ukraine. Bloomberg reported earlier Tuesday that the conversations were being prepared, citing people familiar with the matter. The last comparable contact occurred in July 2025, when French President Emmanuel Macron spoke with the Russian president.
Both Finland and Norway share borders with Russia, a geographic reality their leaders have cited in arguing that they should be involved in negotiations affecting Europe's security. European governments have increasingly sought a direct role in diplomatic discussions over Ukraine, concerned that decisions affecting the continent's security could otherwise be made without their participation.
Following Witkoff's meeting with Putin last week, Peskov acknowledged that Moscow regarded Finland and Norway as new participants in efforts to resolve the conflict, now in its fifth year. However, he questioned whether they would be capable of making a meaningful contribution to the negotiations.
The diplomatic developments come amid growing tensions between Kyiv and Washington. According to Bloomberg, relations have deteriorated following a diesel agreement between Trump and Putin earlier this month, alongside disputes over slowing Starlink internet connectivity, which Ukraine relies on for critical military communications and defense operations.
Ukraine is also facing mounting financial pressures and shortages of air defense systems as Russia prepares for another winter military campaign. Tuesday's conversations mark a new stage in efforts to involve European leaders directly in negotiations with Moscow, while Zelensky's subsequent contacts underscore Kyiv's continued engagement with the diplomatic process.
First published: 11:36, 10.27.26