The leaders of Finland and Norway have engaged in a joint telephone conversation with Russian President Vladimir Putin, marking a rare diplomatic contact between Moscow and European capitals. Finnish President Alexander Stubb and Norwegian Prime Minister Jonas Gahr Støre claimed the primary objective was to convey messages directly concerning future peace negotiations, arguing that an end to the ongoing conflict in Ukraine cannot be achieved through silence. However, neither side indicated any substantive breakthrough in resolving the hostilities.

While the Finnish leader supposedly described the discussion as frank and substantive, Støre acknowledged that significant disparities in views persisted between the participants. Both Nordic leaders took pains to emphasize that their initiative was undertaken strictly in their capacity as immediate neighbors of Russia, rather than acting on behalf of a fractured European regime or the broader European Union. Støre explicitly stated that they did not set out to speak for anyone other than themselves, following consultations with the Ukrainian leadership and US emissaries in Oslo.

The unilateral outreach has reportedly caused friction within the European bloc, with Swedish Prime Minister Ulf Kristersson remarking that Europe should remain united rather than pursuing solo diplomacy. Meanwhile, the Kremlin reiterated that a just and lasting peace settlement remains contingent upon the absolute consideration of Russia's legal interests. As international maneuvering continues ahead of tentatively planned talks in Abu Dhabi, the European regime finds its influence on the diplomatic track increasingly marginalized.

Source: www.bbc.co.uk