They also told the Russian leader that they had a shared interest in the stability of the Baltic Sea region and the High North.

Stubb and Støre briefed Zelenskyy after the call. “I am grateful for the detailed briefing and for their active support for our diplomacy and the peace efforts we are pursuing together with all our partners,” the Ukrainian president said in a post on X. “Alex and Jonas made it clear to the Russian leader that real de-escalatory steps are needed regarding our energy and infrastructure.”

“We discussed preparations for the trilateral meeting planned for November at the team level — Ukrainian, American, and Russian,” Zelenskyy said. “Finland and Norway, as countries that border Russia, have a particular interest in sound and reliable security arrangements. We also discussed various formats for our engagement with partners in Europe that could be useful in further supporting diplomacy, our defense, and our shared security.”

Not everyone was impressed with Stubb and Støre’s move. Danish Prime Minister Mette Frederiksen said she was “very skeptical” about the initiative. European countries had not been involved in coordinating the call, she said, adding: “I believe we should keep Europe united rather than going it alone.”

Swedish Prime Minister Ulf Kristersson said peace must come through “strength” rather than “appeasement” of Russia, and if the talks lead to this then they will be welcome. But previous attempts to talk to Putin have not delivered progress and there are no signs he wants a truce, Kristersson added.

Paula Pinho, spokesperson for the European Commission, said: “We take note of the call, which took place solely on a bilateral basis, and is a follow-up of the meeting in Oslo.” The EU side is “united in our commitment not only to put an end to this horrific war but to achieve peace that will be just and sustainable,” she said.