Russian President Vladimir Putin is preparing for direct telephone talks with Finnish President Alexander Stubb and Norwegian Prime Minister Jonas Gar Støre regarding a possible end to the war in Ukraine. The talks could take place as early as Tuesday, 27 October 2026.
- Vladimir Putin is preparing for telephone talks with the President of Finland, Alexander Stubb, and the Prime Minister of Norway, Jonas Gar Støre.
- Talks on a possible end to the war in Ukraine could take place as early as 27 October.
- There has been no official confirmation of the talks as yet. The Kremlin has neither confirmed nor denied the reports.
Putin may hold talks with Stubb and Støre as early as 27 October
According to Bloomberg, the Kremlin is arranging telephone calls with the leaders of Finland and Norway, who have recently been actively involved in diplomatic efforts to bring an end to the Russian-Ukrainian war.
The agency’s sources claim that talks could take place as early as Tuesday, 27 October. The sources asked not to be named, as this concerns confidential diplomatic arrangements. The parties are expected to discuss the prospects for a peace agreement and the next steps for resumption of the negotiation process.
At the same time, neither side has announced a final agreed time for the talks.
Spokesperson for the Norwegian Government Ragnhill Simestad She did not provide Bloomberg with an immediate comment. The Office of the President of Finland has also not confirmed the reports that talks are being prepared.
The Kremlin has neither confirmed nor denied the report. Consequently, as of 27 October, the discussion centres specifically on possible telephone contacts, rather than a meeting that has already taken place.
The talks were a continuation of the diplomatic meetings in Oslo
Any potential talks with Putin are linked to a new phase of diplomatic efforts that began following a meeting between representatives of Ukraine, the US and European countries in Norway.
On 20 October in Oslo, the President of Ukraine Volodymyr Zelenskyy held talks with Alexander Stubb, Jonas Gar Støre and the US President’s Special Representative Steve Witkoff. Another American representative, Jared Kushner, took part remotely.
The main topics discussed were security guarantees for Ukraine, possible formats for a ceasefire, territorial issues, sanctions against Russia and post-war economic recovery.
Following the meeting, Stubb announced that progress had been made in drawing up the proposals that the US side was to submit to Moscow.
Particular attention was paid to the protection of Ukraine’s energy infrastructure, air defence and the possibility of a partial halt to strikes on civilian targets.
Støre emphasised the need for Europe’s direct involvement in the diplomatic process, as the future peace agreement will have an impact on the security of the entire continent.
Vitkoff conveyed Ukraine’s and Europe’s proposals to Putin
On 21 October, Donald Trump’s special representative, Steve Witkoff, arrived in St Petersburg, where he held talks with Vladimir Putin.
The meeting lasted nearly three hours. The American envoy presented the Russian side with the proposals drawn up during the talks in Oslo.
According to the Kremlin, Moscow has expressed its willingness, in principle, to resume trilateral consultations involving Russia, Ukraine and the United States.
Putin’s aide Yuriy Ushakov He stated that a new round of talks could take place in November. The Russian side identified the establishment of a security framework following the end of the war as the main topic. At the same time, Moscow has not shown any willingness to accept all the proposals put forward by the US delegation.
Ushakov acknowledged that Ukraine and its European partners had put forward new approaches, but stated that the Russian side considered a significant proportion of the proposals put forward to be unacceptable for the settlement.
Despite this, diplomatic contacts continued, and Finland and Norway began to play a more prominent role in the negotiations.
Finland and Norway are stepping up their involvement in the peace process
Alexander Stubb and Jonas Gar Støre were among the key European participants in the latest round of consultations on ending the war.
Finland shares a long border with Russia, and regional security issues have a direct impact on its foreign policy priorities.
Norway, which also shares a border with Russia, actively supports Ukraine and is involved in coordinating diplomatic efforts between Kyiv, Washington and European partners.
During the talks in Oslo, both leaders emphasised that any future settlement must take Ukraine’s interests into account and ensure long-term security in Europe.
