In a rare event in the Nordic countries, the telephone call made by Finnish President Alexander Stubb and Norwegian Prime Minister Jonas Gahr Støre to Russian President Vladimir Putin sparked a political dispute among the leaders of the Nordic countries, after Danish Prime Minister Mette Frederiksen criticized the initiative, and Swedish Prime Minister Ulf Kristersson warned of the risks of weakening the unified European position, while Norwegian Prime Minister Jonas Gahr Støre defended the move. Even within Denmark, Danish politician Trite Berto Mach of the Enhedslisten party supported holding a dialogue with the parties with which Europe disagrees.
The clash comes at a time when international parties are seeking to resume negotiations on the war in Ukraine, amid continued Russian-Ukrainian attacks and differing European positions on the best way to deal with Moscow.
The dispute revolves around two different approaches: the first, advocated by Denmark and Sweden, emphasizes the need to coordinate any contact with Russia so that Moscow does not exploit European differences; the second, adopted by Norway and Finland, considers that countries neighboring Russia have a direct security interest in keeping communication channels open, while continuing to support Ukraine.
A 90-minute call to discuss ending the war
The Finnish Presidential Office and the Norwegian government announced that Alexander Stubb and Jonas Gahr Støre had a telephone conversation with Vladimir Putin on Tuesday, October 27, 2026. The conversation lasted about an hour and a half and came as a follow-up to the meeting hosted by Oslo on October 20, with the participation of Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky and US envoy Steve Witkoff.
The joint statement said the contact was made in consultation with Ukraine, with the aim of conveying direct messages to Putin regarding upcoming negotiations aimed at ending the war, in preparation for anticipated meetings in Abu Dhabi that will bring together representatives from Russia, Ukraine and the United States.
Støre and Støre affirmed their countries' continued support for Ukraine, stressing the need to end the war and resume negotiations, while emphasizing that Finland and Norway participated as representatives of their respective countries, and not on behalf of all of Europe.
The Finnish Prime Minister described the conversation as "frank and substantive," noting that the outcome of the war would directly affect his country's security and that of Europe as a whole, and that ending the war required direct talks. The Norwegian Prime Minister emphasized that the war inflicted enormous human and material losses, and that the effects of the suffering and destruction would last for generations, stressing the importance of de-escalation.
Danish Prime Minister Mette Frederiksen: Why are the two countries acting alone?
Danish Prime Minister Mette Frederiksen expressed strong doubts about the Norwegian-Finnish initiative, saying in statements carried by TV2 that it had not been coordinated with the rest of the European parties, something Norway later confirmed to be the opposite.
Mette Frederiksen added that she sees no signs that Russia wants peace with Europe, whether in light of what she described as the ongoing hybrid war on a daily basis, or the violent and continuous Russian attacks on Ukraine and the resulting human losses.
Frederiksen said: "I believe that Europe should be united rather than each party acting on its own.".
She explained that she did not know what the two countries expected to achieve from the contact, noting that Europeans had stressed on previous occasions the need to unify their position when countries take unilateral initiatives, such as traveling to Moscow.
The Danish Prime Minister confirmed that she still adheres to her position rejecting the initiative, believing that Europeans must speak with one voice and defend themselves against Russia, which she believes does not show a genuine desire for peace.
Støre responds: Our allies were aware of this beforehand.
Norwegian Prime Minister Jonas Gahr Støre rejected Frederiksen's criticism, saying that the European Union has lacked a common message or a unified approach towards Russia over the past four years.
He explained, according to what was reported by Norwegian media, that the call was not an attempt to speak on behalf of Europe, but rather came in their capacity as leaders of their respective countries, stressing that partners and allies had been informed in advance of the initiative and received a detailed briefing afterward.
Støre said that others have the right to believe that American contact with Moscow should be the only channel for talks on Ukraine, but he believes it is also important that other voices reach Russia.
He stressed that Norway stands with Ukraine and defends its right to protect itself, and that the goal is to find a diplomatic path leading to a lasting and just peace, while acknowledging that significant differences in positions continue to exist.
Kristersson joins the criticism and warns of a divided Europe.
Swedish Prime Minister Ulf Kristersson also announced his support for Fredriksen's position, expressing his reservations about the contact made by Støre and Støre with Putin.
Kristersson told the Swedish newspaper Dagens Nyheter that holding talks that could lead to a split in the European voice is risky, but he clarified that he is not certain that the latest contact achieved this result, because he does not yet know the details of what transpired during it.
He added that his expectations regarding this type of talks are low, stressing that everyone wants peace except for Putin, according to TV2.
Thus, a disagreement has emerged between Denmark and Sweden on one side, and Norway and Finland on the other, regarding whether direct contact with Moscow serves diplomatic efforts or weakens the unity of the European position.
Enhedslisten politician Trine Berto Mach advocates for dialogue with Putin
In contrast, Trine Pertou Mach, a member of the Danish Parliament and the Foreign Policy Committee of the Unity List party, announced her full support for the Norwegian-Finnish initiative, according to statements reported by TV2.
Trine Mach said she was surprised by the speed with which criticism was directed at two neighboring countries for the step they had taken, adding that she saw importance in dialogue with parties with whom Europe disagrees.
The Danish politician asserted that the Norwegian Prime Minister and the Finnish President acted, in her estimation, in complete accordance with what Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky wanted.
She added: "I have full confidence that this meeting was conducted in accordance with the same basic principles adopted by Denmark and Europe.".
Mach’s position reflects a trend that sees direct contact with the adversary as not meaning abandoning support for Ukraine, but rather as a diplomatic tool parallel to political and military pressure.
Oslo and Helsinki reaffirm continued support for Ukraine
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky expressed his gratitude to Norway and Finland for their diplomatic efforts following the call with Putin, and said that Alexander Stubb and Jonas Gahr Støre had explained to the Russian leader the need to take concrete steps to de-escalate the situation, particularly with regard to infrastructure and energy in Ukraine.
Zelensky stressed that the two countries, by virtue of their shared border with Russia, have a special interest in establishing reliable and stable security arrangements.
In contrast, the official Russian news agency TASS quoted the Russian side as saying that Putin stressed that achieving a just and lasting peace in Ukraine requires taking Russian interests into account, and accused NATO and EU policies of prolonging the conflict.
These positions indicate that the contact did not resolve the fundamental disagreements regarding the terms of peace, but it did open a new direct channel ahead of the anticipated negotiations in Abu Dhabi.
A Norwegian newspaper attacks Frederiksen with harsh words.
The dispute extended to the Norwegian press, as Ketil B. Aalstadheim, the political editor of the Aftenposten newspaper, directed sharp criticism at Frederiksen in a commentary with the provocative title "Shut up, Mette!".
Alstadheim wrote that the Danish prime minister sometimes speaks too hastily, and that her latest statement falls into this category. He added that if Frederiksen is truly committed to preserving European unity, her reaction has not contributed to that goal.
This criticism highlights another aspect of the crisis, as the dispute is no longer limited to assessing the feasibility of contacting Putin, but has extended to the way leaders deal with each other, at a time when European countries need to coordinate their positions on the future of the war and the security of the continent.
A strategic dispute is testing the unity of the Nordic countries.
European press quoted analysts as saying that the current dispute represents a remarkable development in relations between the Nordic countries, which have maintained broad political and security cooperation since Russia’s full-scale invasion of Ukraine in 2012, and during which Finland and Sweden joined NATO.
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