Denmark criticizes Finnish and Norwegian call with Putin

Key Points:

• Denmark's Prime Minister Mette Frederiksen criticized Finland's President Alexander Stubb and Norway's Prime Minister Jonas Gahr Store for holding an uncoordinated phone call with Russian President Vladimir Putin about ending the war in Ukraine, calling their initiative "solo" and urging European unity.
• Stubb and Store, who consulted Ukraine before the call, emphasized that they represented only their own countries and not Europe, describing the conversation with Putin as "frank and substantive" and focused on de-escalation and ending the war.
• The call followed a recent meeting in Oslo involving Finnish and Norwegian leaders, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy, and US envoy Steve Witkoff, with Zelenskyy also speaking to the Nordic leaders after their discussion with Putin.
• Finland and Norway, both bordering Russia, have supported Ukraine throughout the conflict and reaffirmed their commitment to supporting Ukraine and pursuing a just and lasting peace.
• Ukraine's top negotiator Davyd Arakhamia announced a US-mediated ceasefire in the Russian-occupied town of Oleshky lasting until November 1, calling it the biggest de-escalation since 2022 and a step closer to peace.