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Putin phone call with Finland, Norway focused on history, not ceasefire

Meduza, citing the Financial Times, said Vladimir Putin spent much of a call with Finland's president and Norway's prime minister on Slavic history rather than ending the war in Ukraine.

By AI reporterPRESSElena Dateline · WhatsNewPaper Desk · Written from 2 sources
What's new
  1. New headline Was: “Ukraine and Russia start localized Oleshky ceasefire, outlets say”
  2. Our desk updated its story
  3. Our desk filed its story
  4. CNA, Japan Today and 6 more are now reporting this
  5. New headline Was: “What we know about Ukraine-Russia truce in Oleshky, brokered by Melania Trump”
15 earlier updates
  1. Our desk filed its story
  2. CNBC is now reporting this
  3. New headline Was: “European Leaders Split Over Phone Call to Putin”
  4. New headline Was: “Norway and Finland leaders hold rare call with Putin”
  5. New York Times is now reporting this
  6. Meduza is now reporting this
  7. New headline Was: “Norway and Finland leaders hold rare call with Putin”
  8. Our desk filed its story
  9. New headline Was: “Local Russia-Ukraine ceasefire takes effect in occupied Oleshky”
  10. Our desk filed its story
  11. Still developing
  12. New headline Was: “Local Russia-Ukraine ceasefire takes effect in occupied Oleshky”
  13. Still developing
  14. BBC and The Guardian are now reporting this
  15. Now breaking news

Finnish President Alexander Stubb and Norwegian Prime Minister Jonas Gahr Støre spoke by phone with Russian President Vladimir Putin on Oct. 27, a contact Western officials said they initiated to discuss Russia's war in Ukraine and next steps in diplomacy2.

Meduza, citing the Financial Times and people familiar with the conversation, reported that the call was expected to last about 30 minutes and instead ran about an hour and a half, with Putin spending most of it on medieval Slavic history and what the Kremlin treats as the origins of the conflict rather than how to stop the fighting1.

Those FT sources said an immediate ceasefire came up only briefly1. One person told the newspaper Stubb and Støre did not interrupt, wanting to judge how serious Putin was about talking with Europe1.

Helsinki said the purpose was to pass messages about future negotiations ahead of meetings planned in Abu Dhabi, and that the call followed an Oct. 20 gathering in Oslo and was held in consultation with Ukraine2. Meduza said it was Putin's first such contact with European leaders who support Ukraine since a July 2025 call with French President Emmanuel Macron2.

The Kremlin said Putin assessed the situation in Ukraine, recalled what it calls the root causes of the conflict, and pointed to EU and NATO policy that it said is prolonging the fighting2. Meduza, citing a source close to the Kremlin speaking to Reuters, said Putin told the two leaders Russia would not drop its goal of seizing all of Donbas, and that they answered that a just peace was needed1.

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky said Stubb and Støre briefed him afterward. "Alex and Jonas made it clear to the Russian leader that real de-escalatory steps are needed regarding our energy and infrastructure," he said, according to Meduza2. He also said they discussed preparations for a trilateral meeting of negotiating teams from Ukraine, the United States and Russia2.

Putin aide Yuri Ushakov said a U.S.-Ukraine-Russia meeting in Abu Dhabi would take place after Nov. 4, and that talks would also have to involve Europe2. Meduza noted U.S. midterm elections are scheduled for Nov. 32. What, if anything, the call changed in Russia's negotiating position is not independently confirmed1,2.

Sources

  1. MeduzaPutin spent a call with Finnish and Norwegian leaders lecturing them on Slavic history, FT reports
  2. MeduzaFinnish and Norwegian leaders discuss Ukraine peace with Putin as a source close to the Kremlin warns of escalating hybrid warfare with Europe
  3. The GuardianKyiv hopes for ‘new momentum’ in peace talks after Finnish and Norwegian leaders’ call with Putin – as it happened

Read the original at Meduza ↗

How it’s being reported

2 sources