The Kremlin officially confirmed a phone conversation on Monday between President Vladimir Putin and the leaders of Finland and Norway, with the three parties agreeing to keep open lines of direct communication. The talk, requested by Finnish President Alexander Stubb and Norwegian Prime Minister Jonas Gahr Støre, focused on prospects for ending the war in Ukraine and the coordination of diplomatic meetings in Abu Dhabi.
During the call, Putin stated that a just peace is only possible if Russia’s interests are “fully and unconditionally” recognized. The Nordic leaders subsequently briefed Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy, who noted that the call included demands for Russia to take concrete de-escalatory steps regarding energy infrastructure. The conversation follows meetings in Oslo involving U.S. envoy Steve Witkoff and serves as a precursor to a planned team-level trilateral meeting between Russia, Ukraine, and the U.S. in November.