Nordic call to Putin opens rift in Europe on Ukraine

Denmark has criticized Finland and Norway for reopening dialogue with Moscow as Kiev’s European backers struggle to agree on diplomacy A phone call with the leaders of Finland and Norway’s with Russian President Vladimir Putin has exposed divisions among Ukraine’s European backers. Denmark criticized the initiative and Sweden complained that it had received no advance notice. Finnish President Alexander Stubb and Norwegian Prime Minister Jonas Gahr Store contacted Putin on Tuesday ahead of renewed Russia-US-Ukraine peace talks in Abu Dhabi next month. The leaders discussed efforts to resolve the conflict, as well as security and stability in Northern Europe and the Baltic Sea. Most Western European leaders have shunned direct contact with Moscow since the escalation of the Ukraine conflict in 2022, but now appear to be desperately seeking a seat at the negotiations table.

Both Stubb and Store have been named as potential candidates to represent Brussels at the talks, but neither spoke on Europe’s behalf during Tuesday’s call. Following the conversation, Danish Prime Minister Mette Frederiksen accused her Nordic colleagues of breaking ranks, saying she was “very skeptical about this Norwegian-Finnish initiative” because it had “not been coordinated with the rest of us. ” Putin holds call with leaders of Norway, Finland – Kremlin Frederiksen said Europe should stick together rather than go solo, doubting anything can be achieved through unilateral contacts with Moscow. Her opposition to the diplomatic initiative comes as Copenhagen is backing Kiev’s efforts to expand its weapons production to Danish soil. Ukrainian arms manufacturer Fire Point plans to build a missile-fuel factory in Denmark. Swedish Prime Minister Ulf Kristersson also lamented that he had not been…