Finnish President Alexander Staab and Norwegian Prime Minister Jonas Gahr Storr called Vladimir Putin on their own initiative, the Finnish Presidency said. The conversation was related to the upcoming meetings in Abu Dhabi Stubb described the conversation as "honest and substantive" and said that a direct dialogue with Russia is necessary to end the conflict in Ukraine. According to Stora, the two leaders emphasized the importance of de-escalation. The Office of the Presidents clarified separately that Stove and Stora were speaking on behalf of their countries, not on behalf of Europe as a whole.