Putin explains why he welcomed rare call from Nordic leaders

The Russian president says Moscow supports restoring ties with Europe despite criticism of the Finnish-Norwegian initiative

Russian President Vladimir Putin has welcomed a rare phone call from the leaders of Finland and Norway, saying Moscow has always supported efforts to normalize relations with European countries.

Finnish President Alexander Stubb and Norwegian Prime Minister Jonas Gahr Store spoke with Putin on Tuesday, breaking with the longstanding practice among Western European leaders of avoiding direct contact with Moscow since the escalation of the Ukraine conflict in February 2022. The initiative drew criticism from Danish Prime Minister Mette Frederiksen, who questioned its effectiveness and said it had not been coordinated with European partners.

Speaking at a press conference in the Kremlin on Thursday, Putin said he welcomed dialogue with Western countries despite their military support for Ukraine and sanctions against Russia.

“I believe it was the right thing to do. After all, there are people in Europe who, unlike some others, do not want to inflict a ‘strategic defeat’ on Russia but instead want to establish some kind of constructive dialogue,” Putin said.

He added that Russia would support “any steps aimed at restoring full-fledged and comprehensive relations” with European countries, whether through the EU as a whole or on a bilateral basis.

DETAILS TO FOLLOW