The call of the leaders of Finland and Norway to Putin led to serious differences of opinion in Europe. Politico.
Finnish President Alexander Staab and Norwegian Prime Minister Jonas Gahr Storr had a telephone conversation with Vladimir Putin on October 27. The conversation, writes Politico, led to the "worst rift" between the northern European countries since full-scale war began in 2022.
Thus, in Estonia, which borders Russia, they believe that Europe should not take a mediating position. "You should not take on the role of someone who is trying to please a dictator," Estonian Prime Minister Kristen Michal said.
The conversation between Stubbs and Leicester generally revealed widespread disagreements in Europe about how to deal with Moscow, Politico writes. European governments are squabbling over who should represent Europe in future negotiations and remain divided on the key question of whether engaging with Putin helps achieve peace or merely encourages aggression.
EU leaders will discuss the issues at an informal summit in Dublin this week, but "few participants expect an agreement to be reached," sources tell Politico.