Kremlin chief says Moscow “does not want any war with Europe” as Helsinki and Oslo seek to convey messages ahead of US-mediated talks in Abu Dhabi
Moscow, October 30, 2026 – The Europe Today: Russian President Vladimir Putin has welcomed a rare telephone call from Finnish President Alexander Stubb and Norwegian Prime Minister Jonas Gahr Støre, stating that Moscow has consistently supported efforts to normalize relations with European countries.
The call, held on Tuesday, marked a departure from the longstanding practice among Western European leaders of avoiding direct contact with the Kremlin since the escalation of the Ukraine conflict in February 2022. The initiative was criticized by Danish Prime Minister Mette Frederiksen, who questioned its effectiveness and noted that it had not been coordinated with European partners.
Speaking at a press conference in the Kremlin on Thursday, President Putin said he welcomed dialogue with Western countries notwithstanding their military support for Ukraine and the sanctions imposed on Russia. “I believe it was the right thing to do,” he said, adding that there were people in Europe who, rather than seeking a “strategic defeat” of Russia, wished to establish constructive dialogue.
The Russian President stated that Moscow would support any steps aimed at restoring full-fledged and comprehensive relations with European countries, whether through the European Union as a whole or on a bilateral basis. He reiterated that Russia was not seeking a wider conflict with the EU or NATO. “We do not want any war with Europe. If some of them want one, let them prepare,” he remarked, adding that efforts to inflict a strategic defeat on Russia had not succeeded and were unlikely to do so by 2030.
The Finnish and Norwegian leaders said they had sought to convey messages directly to President Putin regarding future negotiations aimed at ending the war, ahead of US-mediated Russia–Ukraine talks expected to be held in Abu Dhabi in the near future. They described the conversation as a follow-up to their meeting with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky in Oslo on 20 October.
Both Norway and the Kremlin disputed a report by the British newspaper Financial Times, which claimed that President Putin had spent much of the call lecturing his counterparts on Russian and Slavic history.
President Stubb has developed a close working relationship with US President Donald Trump, with whom he has frequently discussed the Ukraine conflict, earning him the label “Trump whisperer” in Western media. He has also pointed to Finland’s long experience in dealing with Russia; the two countries share a 1,340-kilometre border and maintained peaceful, though at times uneasy, relations throughout the Cold War.
The call came amid rising tensions between Kyiv and Washington after President Trump lifted sanctions on Russian diesel exports and subsequently waived further restrictions, following President Zelensky’s refusal to halt strikes on Russian oil refineries, which Trump has blamed for soaring fuel prices.
Moscow has repeatedly accused European leaders of undermining the 2022 peace talks with Ukraine and of seeking to obstruct President Trump’s ongoing efforts to broker a settlement.
