On a Tuesday in late October, the leaders of Finland and Norway reached across the table that Europe had set for itself and spoke directly with Vladimir Putin, something no three of their peers had done together before. Their neighbor Denmark did not hide her unease: a continent that has spent years trying to speak with one voice had, in her view, just stepped out of line. Beneath the diplomatic friction lies an older human question, how a people under threat chooses between standing firm and seeking a way out, and both sides of this quarrel are reaching for the same hoped-for end, a peace tha
Denmark Criticizes Finland and Norway's Solo Call with Putin Ahead of US-Led Ukraine Peace Talks
The war in Ukraine continues to cause large-scale suffering and destruction, which Norway's PM said will affect generations; the article gives no specific casualty figures.
"I honestly don't know what those two countries think they can achieve with this."
Mark
Why did Frederiksen react so sharply to a phone call?
Mimi
Her objection was about process. She said the initiative wasn't coordinated with the rest of Europe, and she wants Europe to stay united rather than act alone.
Luke
Worth noting she objected to the method, and said she doesn't know what the call could achieve. That's her view, not a finding about the call's results.
Mark
What did Stubb and Store say in their defense?
Mimi
They said they consulted Ukraine first, that they spoke only for their own countries, and that Zelenskyy talked with them afterward.
Luke
Consulting Kyiv is their account. The reporting doesn't say what, if anything, other European capitals were told.
Mark
Why would these two countries be the ones to call?
Mimi
Both border Russia and have backed Ukraine throughout the war. Stubb argued the war's outcome directly affects their security, so ending it requires direct discussions.
Mark
And the Oleshky ceasefire?
Mimi
Ukraine's negotiator Arakhamia said it runs until November 1 and called it the biggest de-escalation since 2022.
Luke
That's his characterization, and the article doesn't link the ceasefire to the Putin call. We also don't know what Putin said beyond Stubb's description of the talk as frank and substantive.
O Pulso
- Finland's and Norway's leaders dialed Putin together, and Denmark's prime minister responded with open alarm that Europe had been left uncoordinated.
- The call landed just before US-led peace talks, and European capitals are scrambling to secure a seat and a shared line before those talks begin.
- Helsinki and Oslo insist they consulted Kyiv first and speak only for themselves, trying to defuse the charge that they went behind Ukraine's back.
- A brief US-brokered ceasefire in the occupied town of Oleshky, due to hold until November 1, offers a fragile glimmer of de-escalation amid the commotion.
- Europe's unity is now the test: whether a common position can take shape in time will decide how much influence it carries at the table.
On a Tuesday in late October, the leaders of Finland and Norway reached across the table that Europe had set for itself and spoke directly with Vladimir Putin, something no three of their peers had done together before. Their neighbor Denmark did not hide her unease: a continent that has spent years trying to speak with one voice had, in her view, just stepped out of line. Beneath the diplomatic friction lies an older human question, how a people under threat chooses between standing firm and seeking a way out, and both sides of this quarrel are reaching for the same hoped-for end, a peace that will not be easy to build or quick to heal.
On Tuesday, at a gathering of Nordic leaders, Danish Prime Minister Mette Frederiksen spoke with visible frustration about what her neighbors had just done. Finnish President Alexander Stubb and Norwegian Prime Minister Jonas Gahr Store had jointly phoned Russian President Vladimir Putin to discuss ending the war in Ukraine, and Frederiksen said they had gone it alone. She was openly skeptical, saying the initiative had not been coordinated with the rest of Europe and asking, in effect, what the two countries imagined they could achieve. Europe, she argued, should remain united.
The call was the first of its kind among the three men and came just ahead of US-led peace talks that European leaders hope to join. The Kremlin confirmed it happened, and Stubb called the conversation frank and substantive. Stubb and Store rejected the idea that they had acted behind anyone's back. They said they had consulted Kyiv beforehand, that Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy spoke with them afterward, and that they were representing only their own countries. Stubb argued that the war's outcome directly affects European security and that ending it requires direct talks. Store, speaking of the cost, said the suffering and destruction would shape generations.
The call followed an October 20 meeting in Oslo involving the two leaders, Zelenskyy, and US envoys. Meanwhile, Ukraine's chief negotiator, Davyd Arakhamia, announced a US-mediated ceasefire in the occupied town of Oleshky, set to last until November 1, which he called the biggest de-escalation since 2022. The episode exposes a rift within Europe over how to engage Moscow while Washington leads the diplomacy, and whether the continent can agree on a shared stance before the talks begin will shape its role in them.
On Tuesday, standing in front of reporters at a meeting of Nordic leaders, Danish Prime Minister Mette Frederiksen said she did not understand what two of her neighbors thought they were doing. Finnish President Alexander Stubb and Norwegian Prime Minister Jonas Gahr Store had just held a joint phone call with Russian President Vladimir Putin about ending the war in Ukraine, and Frederiksen said they had gone "solo."
Her criticism was blunt. She said she was very sceptical of the Norwegian and Finnish initiative because it had not been coordinated with the rest of Europe's leaders. "I honestly don't know what those two countries think they can achieve with this," she said, adding that Europe should stay united rather than go it alone.
The call came ahead of planned peace talks led by the United States, which European leaders are trying to join. It was the first conversation among the three men. Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov confirmed that it took place. Stubb described the exchange as "frank and substantive."
Stubb and Store pushed back on the idea that they had acted behind anyone's back, at least where Ukraine was concerned. They said they consulted Kyiv before placing the call, and that Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy spoke with the Nordic leaders afterward. They also stressed that they were speaking for their own countries and not on behalf of Europe.
Stubb framed the call as a matter of direct security interest. "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. Finland and Norway both share a border with Russia, and both have supported Ukraine throughout the war. Store said the two leaders emphasized de-escalation, and he spoke of the toll of the conflict: "The war comes with enormous human and material costs. The suffering and destruction will impact generations." Stubb wrote on social media that Finland and Norway would continue to back Ukraine and the search for a just and lasting peace.
The call followed an October 20 meeting in Oslo that brought together Stubb, Store, Zelenskyy and US envoy Steve Witkoff. Jared Kushner, son-in-law of US President Donald Trump, joined remotely. That gathering is the stated backdrop to the Nordic leaders' approach to Moscow.
On the ground, there was one concrete development. Davyd Arakhamia, Ukraine's top negotiator, said on Tuesday that a US-mediated ceasefire in the Russian-occupied town of Oleshky is set to last until November 1. Writing on Telegram, he called it "the biggest de-escalation since 2022" and said every such step brings peace closer.
The dispute shows a disagreement within Europe over how to deal with Moscow while Washington leads the diplomacy. What to watch is whether European governments can settle on a shared position before the US-led talks begin, since that will help determine what role they play in them.
Citações Notáveis
I believe we should keep Europe united, rather than going it alone.— Mette Frederiksen, Danish Prime Minister
Ending the war requires direct discussions.— Alexander Stubb, Finnish President
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Politics & Governance