Finnish and Norwegian leaders spoke with Putin by phone about ending war in Ukraine

Finnish President Alexander Stubb and Norwegian Prime Minister Jonas Gahr Støre spoke by phone with Vladimir Putin, the Finnish president's office said. The call was a follow-up of the meeting in Oslo on 20 October, where Donald Trump's special envoy Steve Witkoff and representatives of Ukraine discussed the ongoing conflict. Stubb and Støre initiated the call to discuss Russia's war of aggression against Ukraine and the diplomatic efforts to end the war and promote peace and stability in Europe.

The purpose of the call was to directly convey to President Putin Ukraine's position on the upcoming peace talks in Abu Dhabi. The talks, which will take place after November 4, were agreed upon following a meeting between Witkoff and Zelensky in Oslo. The parties also agreed to hold a new trilateral meeting between Russia, the U.S., and Ukraine, which will take place after the U.S. midterm elections.

European countries have been looking for a representative to take part on the EU's behalf in the peace talks. Finnish President Stubb and Norwegian Prime Minister Støre, as well as Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni, Czech President Petr Pavel, and Danish Prime Minister Mette Frederiksen, have been named as potential candidates for this role.

The move to ease sanctions in exchange for Moscow releasing diesel onto global markets has drawn sharp criticism from Ukraine and its allies. The deal, which was struck by Trump and Putin, aims to lower fuel prices for American consumers ahead of the U.S. midterm legislative elections on 3 November.

Three tankers carrying Russian diesel are en route to the United States, with a fourth expected to depart on Wednesday, Moscow said. The first US-bound tanker with Russian diesel departed last week and loaded nearly 300,000 barrels of diesel at the Primorsk terminal.