The President of Finland and the Prime Minister of Norway had a telephone conversation with Putin, the office of the Finnish leader reports. The conversation was initiated by European leaders. "Stab and Stora called as leaders of their countries and did not speak on behalf of Europe as a whole," the message emphasizes. Staub called the conversation "open and meaningful," and Stora said the Europeans emphasized the importance of de-escalating the Ukrainian conflict. To end the conflict in Ukraine, a direct dialogue with Russia is necessary, the Finnish president said.