Stubb and Störe report Putin spent 90 minutes on history
The Russian leader discussed medieval Slavic origins during a phone call that was expected to be brief, while Ukraine's demand for a ceasefire remained largely unaddressed.
By Lorenzo Marshall ·
Finnish President Alexander Stubb told domestic media on October 27 that a scheduled 30-minute phone conversation with Russian President Vladimir Putin stretched to 90 minutes. Stubb spoke with Norwegian Prime Minister Jonas Gahr Störe during the call, which was intended to address de-escalation measures for the war in Ukraine.
According to three sources familiar with the conversation cited by the Financial Times, Putin focused on what the Kremlin describes as the root causes of the conflict. Instead of negotiating an end to the fighting, he delivered a lengthy monologue on medieval Slavic history. The sources noted that the immediate ceasefire, which Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy has identified as a primary condition for peace talks, received minimal attention during the call.
One source indicated that Stubb and Störe chose not to interrupt the historical discussion. They wanted to assess how seriously Putin was treating diplomatic engagement with Europe. This was the first direct conversation between the Kremlin leader and a European ally of Ukraine since July 2025, when he spoke with French President Emmanuel Macron.
The Kremlin stated that Putin reminded the Nordic leaders of the fundamental origins of the war. Zelenskyy confirmed that the Finnish and Norwegian leaders discussed steps to protect Ukraine's energy infrastructure during the call. Ukrainian Foreign Minister Andrii Sybiha verified that the conversation was coordinated with Kyiv prior to taking place.
Reactions from other European leaders were mixed. Danish Prime Minister Mette Frederiksen expressed strong skepticism about the outcome, noting that the call had not been coordinated with other European nations. This contradicts the account provided by the Ukrainian foreign minister. The episode echoes a similar incident in 2025 in Alaska, where Putin gave a long historical speech to US President Donald Trump, prompting the American leader to threaten walking out of the meeting.
The conversation occurred on October 27. It represents a renewed attempt by Nordic leaders to engage with Moscow regarding the war's trajectory. No further meetings between Putin and European leaders are currently scheduled for the immediate future.
Source: Ukrainska Pravda
