Mette Frederiksen criticises Stubb and Støre for speaking directly with Russian President Vladimir Putin, accusing the Finnish and Norwegian leaders of acting without sufficient European coordination. The Danish prime minister made her objections public in Helsinki on Tuesday, 27 October, after the two leaders called Putin about negotiations to end Russia’s war in Ukraine.
Frederiksen told Danish broadcaster TV 2 that she was highly sceptical of the initiative taken by Finnish President Alexander Stubb and Norwegian Prime Minister Jonas Gahr Støre.
“It was not coordinated with the rest of us.”
She said she could see no indication that Russia wanted peace, pointing to continuing attacks on Ukraine and what she described as Russia’s ongoing hybrid warfare against European countries. She questioned what Stubb and Støre expected to achieve and said she had told them directly that she disagreed with their approach.
“I think we should keep Europe together instead of going solo.”
Frederiksen argued that European governments should maintain a common position on Russia rather than approach Moscow separately. She also warned against giving Putin a new diplomatic opening without clear evidence of willingness to end the war.
Sweden expresses doubts, while Ukraine thanks Stubb and Støre
Swedish Prime Minister Ulf Kristersson also expressed reservations. He warned that talks with Putin could risk dividing Europe’s common position, but added that he was not claiming the Finnish and Norwegian leaders had done so because he did not yet know the details of their conversation. Speaking during the Nordic Council meetings in Helsinki, he said he had seen little result from previous contacts with Putin and reiterated that peace must be reached on Ukraine’s terms, according to Swedish broadcaster TV4.
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy, however, thanked Stubb and Støre for their diplomatic work after they briefed him on the call. He said they had raised the need for concrete steps to reduce Russian attacks on Ukraine’s energy infrastructure and had discussed proposed talks involving Ukraine, Russia and the USA in Abu Dhabi, Danish public broadcaster DR reported.
The leaders say they consulted Kyiv, not all of Europe
According to the Finnish president’s office, Ukraine was consulted while the call was being prepared. Stubb and Støre initiated the contact to pass on Ukrainian messages about possible peace negotiations. The conversation followed the 20 October talks in Oslo, where they met Zelenskyy and representatives of the USA.
The Finnish statement emphasised that Stubb and Støre had spoken as leaders of their respective countries, not on behalf of Europe. Finland and Norway both share a border with Russia, and the two leaders say the war’s outcome has direct implications for their security.
That distinction is central to the disagreement. Kyiv’s involvement in preparing the call does not mean other European governments were consulted, which is precisely the point Frederiksen has challenged. The exchanges leave an open question about how European partners should coordinate direct diplomatic contacts with Moscow while continuing to support Ukraine.
