Finland and Norway's leaders hold 90-minute Putin call, drawing rebuke from Denmark and Sweden

Summary

The leaders of Finland and Norway held a 90-minute phone call with Vladimir Putin, which drew an unusual rebuke from their Danish and Swedish neighbours. Nordic countries rarely disagree publicly on foreign policy, and this split came amid a wider European rift. With no single European representative negotiating directly with Moscow, some leaders are opening their own channels to the Kremlin, with messy results.

Timeline

1. The Guardian

   29 Oct 2026, 12:55 UTCSource ↗

   The Guardian reports that a 90-minute call to Putin by the leaders of Finland and Norway drew an unusual public rebuke from Denmark and Sweden, and that some European leaders are running their own channels to Moscow because no single European representative negotiates directly with it.