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Message: [QUOTE="Shamiso, post: 94031, member: 160"] Finland and Norway's leaders held a rare call with Vladimir Putin over Ukraine, and the move drew sharp criticism from other European leaders. Finnish President Alexander Stubb and Norwegian Prime Minister Jonas Gahr Støre spent 90 minutes talking with the Russian leader, far longer than the 20 minutes they had planned. The aim was to make sure Moscow heard Europe's views on peace talks. It followed a meeting in Oslo with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky, U.S. officials, and a representative from the European Union. More talks are planned in Abu Dhabi. But Denmark's Prime Minister Mette Frederiksen was not pleased. She questioned why the two Nordic leaders had acted without a joint plan and warned that Moscow had shown little interest in a real peace deal. Swedish Prime Minister Ulf Kristersson also raised concerns. He said separate talks could weaken Europe's shared stance, though he made clear that he had yet to learn what the call had covered. The wider issue is who gets to speak for Europe when dealing with Putin. Moscow has said it would prefer one main contact, but European governments have yet to agree on who should take that role. Trump's recent moves have made the debate more urgent. He has called for Ukraine to change its president and allowed fresh purchases of Russian diesel by the United States. Critics worry that these steps give Moscow economic benefits while Kyiv faces more pressure to make concessions. And European countries have plenty at stake. They have sent Ukraine military aid, cash, and diplomatic help throughout the war. The EU also controls sanctions on Moscow and holds billions in frozen Russian state funds in Belgium. European Commission spokeswoman Paula Pinho described the contact as part of a wider set of peace efforts. EU officials had been told about the call in advance, although that did not prevent some governments from objecting. Stubb may have an edge in future talks because he has kept friendly ties with Trump. The pair have played golf together, and Trump has spoken warmly of their friendship. Putin may also be open to dealing with him, despite past Russian criticism of his support for Ukrainian attacks on Russian territory. As for what Putin actually said, Store gave a fairly plain account. The Russian president went over his view of the conflict's roots, while the Nordic leaders laid out their positions. Their basic differences remained. Finland and Norway also made clear that they were speaking for their respective nations, not every European government. They later contacted Zelensky, who welcomed their efforts. For all the debate over the call, no new peace agreement emerged from it. [/QUOTE]

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