By Essi Lehto
HELSINKI, Oct 27 (Reuters) - The leaders of Finland and Norway phoned Russian President Vladimir Putin on Tuesday to urge him to end the war in Ukraine, breaking with a longstanding practice among Western European leaders of shunning direct contact with the Kremlin.
The call by Finnish President Alexander Stubb and Norwegian Prime Minister Jonas Gahr Stoere was an attempt to influence the diplomatic process after US President Donald Trump shifted his position in favour of Russia and US ties
with Ukraine hit their lowest point in 18 months.
Stoere said he and Stubb had spoken to Putin for about 90 minutes, and then to Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskiy.
In a joint statement, they linked the initiative to planned peace discussions between Russian, Ukrainian and US officials in Abu Dhabi next month, their first since February.
Moscow and Kyiv remain far apart on how to end the war that began with Russia's invasion in February 2022, and long-range airstrikes by both sides have increased this year while battle lines have remained largely static.
"The discussion (with Putin) was frank and substantive. We are neighbouring countries to Russia. The outcome of this war will have a direct impact on our and the broader European security. Ending the war requires direct discussions," Stubb said.
Stoere said he and Stubb had "stressed the importance of de-escalation." Both voiced strong support for Ukraine.
NO SIGN OF KREMLIN COMPROMISE
The Kremlin's readout of the call did not suggest any softening of Putin's position.
"It was emphasised that achieving a just and long-term peace is possible only if the legitimate interests of the Russian Federation are fully and unconditionally taken into account," it said.
"At the same time, attention was drawn to the confrontational policies of EU and NATO countries, which are contributing to the prolongation of the hostilities."
Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov said Tuesday's call had offered nothing new on the Ukraine conflict, which he said was likely to escalate, and that European countries were simply seeking a role in the negotiation process.
Western European leaders have mostly refused to talk to Putin, hoping to isolate him. But they have been sidelined in peace efforts led by US President Donald Trump, who is seen in many European capitals as unpredictable and prone to side with Putin at Ukraine's expense.
That perception has been reinforced by deals this month in which Putin agreed to supply Russian diesel to the United States and Trump eased sanctions on Russia. Ukraine has also complained of disruption to intelligence-sharing by the US and to satellite internet services on which its military relies.
Gerhard Mangott, an Austrian political analyst, said European governments had "manoeuvred themselves into a dead end" when it came to finding a solution to the war, and Tuesday's call was an effort to establish a channel for dialogue.
He drew attention to remarks by Kremlin aide Yuri Ushakov on Sunday suggesting Europe should be part of discussions.
"I interpret this as a shift in Russia's position, given that Moscow had previously consistently rejected the idea of discussing a settlement of the war in Ukraine with the Europeans," Mangott said.
DANISH LEADER'S CRITICISM
Ukrainian Foreign Minister Andrii Sybiha said the call had been coordinated with Kyiv and was "the right approach".
"We welcome such active support for our diplomatic efforts and peace process," he said, adding that he also hoped a local ceasefire around the Russian-occupied town of Oleshky could "pave the way to other steps in the peace process."
But Danish Prime Minister Mette Frederiksen said she saw no signs that Russia wanted peace, adding: "I think Europe should stick together rather than going solo."
Swedish Prime Minister Ulf Kristersson said other European leaders were not informed of the talks.
"My impression is that everyone wants peace, except for Putin himself. I have quite low expectations for this type of conversation," Kristersson told Swedish daily DN.
Polish Prime Minister Donald Tusk said he had told Stubb and Stoere that "absolute caution and vigilance are necessary in such contacts".
Stubb and Stoere said they acted as leaders of their respective countries and not on behalf of Europe, and had "consulted thoroughly with all our partners."
Russia has frequently accused European governments of stoking the war by arming Ukraine and refusing direct talks.
A source close to the Kremlin said French President Emmanuel Macron had been the last EU leader to speak with Putin — in a summer call that yielded no results and was not made public.
The source said Putin told Stubb and Stoere that the European involvement was welcome and that the war needed to end "taking into account the realities on the ground".
Asked what this meant, the person said it signified that Russia would not compromise over its aim to capture the whole of Ukraine's Donbas region. The Europeans responded by saying a "just" peace was needed, the source said.
The two Nordic leaders may be less encumbered than their peers from larger European states such as Britain, France and Germany, whose ties with Moscow have deteriorated further.
German Chancellor Friedrich Merz said attempts to end the war "can never find solutions without Ukraine", and must include European countries.
Merz said Germany and other European states wanted to establish a format to speak to Russia's government and that Norway and Finland were playing "a very constructive role" in that effort.
The Kremlin said Putin, Stoere and Stubb would keep in touch by phone.
(Reporting by Essi Lehto; additional reporting by Darya Korsunskaya, Terje Solsvik, Louise Breusch Rasmussen, Andreas Rinke, Yuliia Dysa and Pawel Florkiewicz, Writing by Mark Trevelyan, Editing by Timothy Heritage)
