Finland and Norway Leaders Face Criticism for Direct Putin Talks

Leaders of Finland and Norway engaged in a 90-minute phone conversation with Russian President Vladimir Putin on Tuesday, marking the first direct discussion between the Kremlin chief and pro-Ukrainian European leaders in over a year. The outreach has drawn criticism from fellow Nordic leaders who were not informed in advance.

Danish Prime Minister Mette Frederiksen stated that the call "was not coordinated with the rest of us," emphasizing the importance of European unity and cautioning against providing Putin with new opportunities. Swedish Prime Minister Ulf Kristersson echoed these sentiments, indicating low expectations for the call and reaffirming Sweden's stance that peace must be achieved on Ukraine's terms.

Finland's President Alexander Stubb and Norwegian Prime Minister Jonas Gahr Støre defended their decision, releasing a joint statement asserting that "ending the war requires direct discussions" and that they stressed the importance of de-escalation. They clarified that their conversation was conducted on behalf of their respective countries.

The call occurred amid a fragile local truce in the Russian-occupied city of Oleshky, in Ukraine's southern Kherson region. Ukrainian officials described this ceasefire, aimed at facilitating humanitarian aid, as the "biggest de-escalation since 2022." The truce appeared to be holding tentatively, despite Russia having launched missile strikes on a university campus and a key bridge in Kyiv just hours prior.

The Kremlin stated that Putin used the conversation to criticize the "confrontational policy of the EU and NATO countries, which is leading to a protraction of hostilities." However, Moscow also indicated that an agreement was reached to "continue maintaining direct contact by phone."

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky, who spoke with Stubb and Støre after their call with Putin, reported that they had "made it clear to the Russian leader that real de-escalatory steps are needed regarding our energy and infrastructure."

The Oleshky ceasefire, reportedly brokered by U.S. First Lady Melania Trump, began at 3 a.m. local time and was scheduled to last until late evening on November 1. The city has been a focal point of fighting since its seizure by Russian forces in early 2022, with its population dramatically reduced and remaining residents facing severe shortages of food and medicine.

While Ukrainian military spokesmen reported that Russian forces were observing the ceasefire in Oleshky as of 9 a.m. local time, and the Kremlin confirmed no violations were reported, Russia continued its air attacks elsewhere in Ukraine. Ballistic missiles struck a Kyiv university campus on Monday evening, and an overnight strike hit the Southern Bridge, a vital transport artery. In Russia, two people were killed in the western city of Bryansk by dropped explosive devices.

Russian state television aired footage purportedly showing individuals leaving Oleshky on bicycles, though the timing of the images was not specified. Moscow-installed officials have suggested that evacuations to Russian-occupied Crimea or Rostov are possible, pending the clearing of mined roads.

The conflict, which began with Russia's full-scale invasion in February 2022, has resulted in hundreds of thousands of casualties and millions displaced, becoming Europe's deadliest conflict since World War II. US-mediated talks between Russia and Ukraine are slated to resume in November.