Europe: Call Between Putin and Finnish and Norwegian Leaders Causes Divisions

Vladimir Putin held a roughly 90-minute phone call on October 27, 2026, with Finnish President Alexander Stubb and Norwegian Prime Minister Jonas Gahr Støre about the war in Ukraine. Prepared with Kyiv, the call was intended to convey messages to Putin ahead of trilateral talks scheduled for November in Abu Dhabi; Volodymyr Zelensky said he had requested concrete de-escalation measures. Danish Prime Minister Mette Frederiksen voiced skepticism, while Poland’s Donald Tusk urged the two leaders to remain vigilant. Støre defended the initiative, saying other voices should also be heard.