Finnish President Alexander Stubb has rejected media reports that Vladimir Putin delivered a history lecture during a telephone conversation with him and Norwegian Prime Minister Jonas Gahr Støre. Speaking on Finnish broadcaster Yle, Stubb said the account of the exchange was false, according to European Pravda.
A journalist asked Stubb about a Financial Times report saying the Kremlin leader had devoted most of the conversation to what he described as the initial reasons for the conflict with Ukraine. Stubb disputed that characterisation while acknowledging that Putin had discussed his account of events after 2014, including the annexation of Crimea and the war in eastern Ukraine.
The Finnish president said Putin had also spoken about the peace negotiations held in Istanbul after Russia began its full-scale invasion of Ukraine in 2022. Stubb distinguished those subjects of discussion from the newspaper's portrayal of a call largely occupied by Putin's explanation of the conflict's origins.
Stubb stressed that he and Støre had contacted Putin at Ukraine's request. He also pointed to Finland's and Norway's own security interests, saying that, as countries neighbouring Russia, they would eventually need to establish contact with Moscow. The two leaders held the call on Tuesday, 27 October, taking the initiative to speak with Putin.
Finland was not serving as a mediator in the negotiations, Stubb said. He emphasised that his country stood fully behind Ukraine and that this position had been communicated directly to Putin. Stubb had previously described the conversation with the Russian leader as "frank and businesslike".
The decision to speak with Putin had attracted criticism from some leaders, Stubb acknowledged. Nevertheless, he said he was not concerned that the conversation would cause a rift among Nordic countries. He said they shared the same objective of supporting Ukraine and helping peace talks move forward.
Zelenskyy said the Finnish and Norwegian leaders had clearly conveyed to Putin the need for concrete steps to reduce tensions concerning Ukrainian energy and infrastructure. His account identified that message as part of the conversation between the three leaders.
Støre has also challenged the Financial Times account. The Norwegian prime minister requested a correction to the newspaper's article over its claim that Putin had spent almost the entire conversation discussing the initial reasons for the conflict with Ukraine.
