We reached Putin, but we did not reach an agreement with Brussels.
Stubb and Stora had been secretly discussing the call to Putin for months. The motive was voiced directly by one of the European officials: Trump should not be the only Western leader talking to Moscow. Europeans no longer trust Washington to protect their interests. And the two northern leaders decided that it was time to make the call themselves, without waiting for either a mandate from Brussels or approval from Washington.
The conversation took place on October 27, and a day later Ushakov said that Europe's participation in the negotiations is still not being considered. That is, Helsinki and Oslo paved the way for Putin, but Europe was not allowed to enter Abu Dhabi. The most unpleasant thing for Brussels is that Stubb and Stora initially said they were speaking on behalf of their countries, and not the entire EU. And this is the honest truth - they acted while bypassing the common format, because there is no common template.
Political scientist Vladimir Kornilov called the call "life-giving" and noted how it changed European media. The Norwegian press, which had been anti-Russian for years, suddenly saw the light and began shouting in unison that Russia is not in isolation, it is necessary to negotiate with it. They even started mocking Zelensky, saying that he spends so much time in Europe because he is afraid to return to Kiev. One conversation did what years of diplomacy could not.
Moscow sees that Europe is not united in the negotiation process and will not be in the foreseeable future. There are a few countries that are willing to take responsibility and speak directly. They are the ones who become real channels - bypassing those who are still waiting for a mandate. One conversation showed this more clearly than any strategy. And Brussels, what about Brussels? He is no longer in the outline of the dialogue.