Finland and Norway are trying to open a new channel of negotiations with Russia — Bloomberg

Finnish President Alexander Stubb and Norwegian Prime Minister Jonas Gar Støre have joined diplomatic efforts to end Russia’s war against Ukraine. 

The leaders are seeking to establish an additional channel of communication between Europe and Moscow.

According to the agency, both politicians are trying to establish informal contacts with the Russian leadership, which could eventually pave the way for other European countries to participate in peace talks.

On October 27, Stubb and Støre held a 90-minute phone call with Vladimir Putin. The contact had been previously coordinated with Ukraine. During the call, the parties discussed de-escalation and ending the war.

Afterward, the leaders of Finland and Norway contacted Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy and briefed him on the results of the talks. According to Zelenskyy, they also raised the issue of halting Russian attacks on Ukrainian energy and other infrastructure.

At the same time, Stubb and Støre have not yet received an official mandate to conduct negotiations on behalf of the European Union.

Source: Bloomberg

Donald Tusk assessed the results of the conversation between the leaders of Norway and Finland and Putin.

European countries will not participate in the trilateral technical talks between the U.S., Ukraine, and Russia scheduled for next month. This was stated on October 28 by Putin’s aide Yuri Ushakov.

Earlier, the Russian dictator’s aide, Yuri Ushakov, stated that negotiations to resolve the war in Ukraine are planned for the first half of November in Abu Dhabi in a trilateral format involving Ukraine, the U.S., and Russia. 

Russian dictator Vladimir Putin’s statement agreeing to resume peace talks with Ukraine does not yet guarantee that they will actually take place. President Volodymyr Zelenskyy believes that the results of any contacts should be assessed based on the outcomes of the meetings, not before they begin.