Stubb and Støre talk to Putin
Norway's Prime Minister Jonas Gahr Støre and Finland's President Alexander Stubb have had a phone conversation with Vladimir Putin for the first time since the war began. Their initiative has drawn sharp criticism from their Nordic partners. Who should negotiate with Moscow, and what role can Europe play? Nordic media discuss diplomatic solo efforts and how to deal with Russia.
Finland must remain an active player
Putin is sticking to his objectives, Helsingin Sanomat points out:
“Unfortunately, there is no indication that Putin has changed his main goals, which are to impose a dictated peace on Ukraine and to reach an agreement with the US over Europe's head. ... In this situation, many people still seem to believe that calling for unity and action on the part of the EU is a form of action in itself. However, the disputes over new sanctions last summer have shown that the tide has turned within the EU. Finland must continue to play an active role within the EU and influence its course, but Finland's foreign policy is not confined to the EU alone. It is more important than ever that Finland ensures it remains an active player at all times.”
Wrong response from Mette Frederiksen
Sydsvenskan criticises the Danish prime minister for voicing annoyance:
“Which European politician meets with whom is of secondary importance. However, the Nordic countries, which are central to the support for Ukraine, have a key role to play here. Alexander Stubb is a politician with keen intuition, a deep understanding of the issues at hand and good communication skills. It is therefore wrong of Denmark's Prime Minister Mette Frederiksen to criticise Støre and Stubb for talking to Putin. ... The war will be decided on the battlefield. On that issue there are no differences of opinion between Copenhagen, Oslo, Helsinki and Stockholm.”
The EU needs a strong representative
Following Støre and Stubb's decision to talk to Putin and the annoyance this has caused among the other Nordic leaders who were not consulted, Berlingske calls for a single person to be appointed to negotiate on behalf of the EU:
“What is clear is that Europe must find its own version of US envoy Steve Witkoff, but preferably one who doesn't fawn over Putin by describing him as a great humanist. ... Of course, it's not enough to simply appoint one person. The farce of the last few days makes it clear that Europe must start, in consultation with Ukraine, by defining a very clear line of conduct towards Russia. And time is of the essence if Europe is to have any say at all.”