Abu Dhabi Peace Talks Near After Nordic Putin Call

Finnish President Alexander Stubb and Norwegian Prime Minister Jonas Gahr Støre telephoned Russian President Vladimir Putin on October 27, a rare direct contact between Moscow and two European NATO members that has divided opinion across the continent. The leaders spoke from Helsinki for about ninety minutes, according to a statement from the Norwegian government, and then briefed Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy on the discussion. The call came days before the Abu Dhabi peace talks involving Ukraine, Russia and the United States, and it has raised a pointed question among European allies: whether separate outreach to the Kremlin helps or hurts a shared negotiating position.

The call followed a meeting in Oslo on October 20 that brought Stubb, Støre and Zelenskyy together with United States special envoy Steve Witkoff, according to the statement. It was held in consultation with Ukraine, and the other Nordic countries were told in advance and briefed afterward. Stubb described the exchange as frank and substantive, and said ending the war requires direct discussion because the outcome will shape security across Europe. Støre stressed the importance of de-escalation, pointing to the human and material costs of a war now in its fifth year.

Reactions split the Nordic region

Reaction elsewhere in the region was cooler. Denmark criticised the initiative, and Sweden voiced scepticism, according to reporting by L'Express, with both governments worried that separate channels could fragment a common European voice. The statement stressed that the two leaders spoke only for their own countries, not for Europe as a whole. It also noted that Finland and Norway share borders with Russia and have a direct interest in stability in the Baltic Sea region and the High North.

The call was the first direct contact between Putin and European leaders at this level in more than a year, according to the Financial Times, BBC News and El País. Western European leaders have largely avoided direct contact with the Kremlin since Russia launched its full-scale invasion in February 2022, which makes the Helsinki call a break with recent practice. The disagreement turns on a familiar question: whether separate diplomatic approaches help end the conflict or weaken a coordinated European position.

Abu Dhabi talks take shape

The immediate focus now shifts to the Abu Dhabi peace talks. Zelenskyy said on Wednesday, at a press conference in The Hague with Dutch Prime Minister Rob Jetten, that he expects the trilateral meeting to take place between November 6 and 10, with Washington yet to confirm a date. He added that the date could be confirmed around November 4, a day after the United States midterm elections, and that the location could still change depending on developments in the Middle East. The full statement from the Norwegian government on the Helsinki call is available here.

The Abu Dhabi peace talks are expected to take place at a technical level rather than as a leaders' summit, though Zelenskyy said he hopes they pave the way for a meeting with United States President Donald Trump and Putin. Topics on the table include the exchange of prisoners and civilians, the return of Ukrainian children, humanitarian issues and territorial questions, according to reporting of the press conference. Zelenskyy has also said he is willing to consider freezing the fighting along the current front lines, while retaining control of three-quarters or more of Ukraine's pre-war territory. The Kremlin has yet to confirm a timeline, and its spokesman Dmitry Peskov has said the talks will focus on security arrangements after a settlement.

The timing also matters in Washington. Trump has accused Zelenskyy of trying to block a deal, and Zelenskyy answered that charge directly this week, saying Kyiv is open to negotiations in any format, including on sensitive topics. Trump, for his part, has said the leaders of the United States, Russia and Ukraine will meet very soon, a pledge that could lift the Abu Dhabi peace talks from technical contacts to leader level if the groundwork holds.

The last round of United States-mediated talks took place in February, according to Reuters, and the renewed push follows a flurry of diplomacy in October. Witkoff met Zelenskyy in Oslo before travelling to St. Petersburg to meet Putin, and Putin agreed in principle to restart negotiations after the midterm elections, according to Kremlin foreign affairs adviser Yuri Ushakov. The Nordic call has already shown how hard it is for Europe to agree on a single approach before the Abu Dhabi peace talks begin.