Finnish President Alexander Stubb has refuted reports that Russian President Vladimir Putin gave a lecture on medieval Slavic history during a recent telephone conversation.
Speaking in an interview with Finnish national broadcaster Yle, Stubb discussed media coverage surrounding the Oct. 27 appeal, which has drawn intense scrutiny and divergent reactions in European capitals.
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Stubb dismissed a report published by the Financial Times claiming that Putin monopolized their 90-minute discussion with a lengthy lecture on ancient Slavic history while sidelining negotiations on an immediate ceasefire.
“That he gave a lecture on Slavic history is simply not accurate,” Stubb said, echoing previous rebuttals issued by Støre and emphasizing that speaking time was evenly distributed among participants.
The Finnish head of state explained that Helsinki and Oslo took the initiative at the request of Ukrainian leaders to open a direct communication channel with the Kremlin, ensuring that European perspectives are articulated directly rather than relayed only through third parties.
Alignment with Ukrainian interests and transatlantic divergence
Stubb noted that the diplomatic call came at a critical time as Helsinki evaluates the extent to which U.S. foreign policy toward Ukraine and Russia aligns with Finnish and broader European security interests.
The Finnish president highlighted the nuances that separate the EU’s strategy from that pursued by Washington under President Donald Trump. While the United States seeks to position itself as a neutral mediator between Moscow and kyiv, the European Union maintains an unambiguous policy of defensive support for Ukraine.
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Stubb stressed that Finland was not acting as a neutral intermediary between the two belligerents.
“Finland is not acting as a mediator, but supports Ukraine 100 percent. We have also conveyed this message to President Putin,” Stubb said.
The Finnish leader revealed that European partners had been informed in advance of the content and objective of the awareness-raising.
He noted that the call marked the first time that the EU had obtained direct and unmediated communication from Russia regarding the war in Ukraine and the security dynamics in the Baltic Sea region.
Rejection on the readmission of Russian hockey and sports diplomacy
Beyond bilateral diplomacy, Stubb has publicly criticized recent decisions by international sporting bodies to readmit Russian athletes to international competition under their national symbols, specifically addressing the reinstatement of Russian ice hockey players.
Stubb called the decision allowing Russian hockey teams to return to the international stage a decision with unacceptable symbolic subtext as Russia continues its war with Ukraine.
The comments follow decisions by international sports federations to lift restrictions on Russian and Belarusian competitors, including the International Weightlifting Federation’s recent awarding of the 2030 World Championships to Moscow and earlier readmissions by the governing bodies of archery, fencing and gymnastics following revised guidelines from the International Olympic Committee.
European debate on direct negotiations with Moscow
The phone call led by Stubb and Støre sparked a debate among European allies over the effectiveness of direct dialogue with the Kremlin.
Danish Prime Minister Mette Frederiksen expressed skepticism about the Nordic unilateral initiative, warning that an independent approach risked shattering European unity and pointing to Russia’s continued strikes on Ukraine’s civilian infrastructure as evidence of Moscow’s lack of real interest in diplomacy.
Similarly, Swedish Prime Minister Ulf Kristersson stressed that he had few expectations for direct talks with Putin in the current circumstances.
Conversely, Putin publicly defended the Nordic leaders during a press conference following the Russia-Africa summit on Thursday October 29, welcoming their decision to reach out despite European criticism.
Putin said dialogue was necessary, while warning that a direct military conflict between Russia and Europe would produce no winners and asserting that Western efforts to inflict a strategic defeat on Russia would fail.
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