Finland’s Stubb Describes Putin as Sharp, Analytical in Phone Call

Alexander Stubb defended a phone call with Russian President Vladimir Putin on October 27, describing the exchange as “good and direct” in comments reported by Novinky.

“If we want to be part of the negotiations, we cannot remain silent and keep the mute button pressed,” said Alexander Stubb, President of Finland, according to the German daily newspaper cited by Novinky. “On the contrary, we must speak directly with the Russians.”

The roughly 90-minute phone call was initiated jointly by Stubb and Norwegian Prime Minister Jonas Gahr Støre, according to Aktualne.cz. The outreach broke the general diplomatic isolation of Moscow maintained by European leaders since the 2022 invasion.

The call drew swift criticism from several European capitals. Danish Prime Minister Mette Frederiksen condemned the move, telling Novinky that Finland and Norway had acted on their own hook and that Europe must maintain unity rather than acting separately.

“I believe that we must maintain the unity of Europe, and not act each separately,” Frederiksen said, adding that she saw no signs that Russia was seeking peace with Europe.

Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni also criticized the outreach in a letter to European Council President António Costo, citing it as an example of a chaotic European approach that risks rendering the continent irrelevant in peace negotiations, according to Aktualne.cz. Meanwhile, an unnamed high-ranking European official told Politico that it was vital for Donald Trump not to be the only Western leader speaking with Putin.

Stubb described Putin during the call as “very sharp, very analytical, very well prepared, and very calm in the way he conducted the conversation,” noting that the Russian leader “certainly knows how to listen.” However, the Finnish president emphasized that Moscow’s stance remained unchanged regarding Ukraine’s independence and territorial integrity.

Støre similarly characterized Putin as professional and rational, noting that both sides agreed not to interrupt each other. Støre defended the dialogue by pointing out that Putin is not isolated and that European voices must explain European support for Ukraine directly to Moscow, as reported by Aktualne.cz.

Contlicting reports emerged regarding the call’s content. The Financial Times reported that Putin spent most of the time lecturing the two leaders on medieval Slavic history, a claim both Stubb and Støre rejected.

Neither Støre nor Stubb expressed high expectations for an immediate breakthrough in those discussions in Abú Dhabí, leaving open the question of whether Europe can forge a unified stance before future negotiations proceed.

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