Foto: BB.LV / Путин
Russian President Vladimir Putin, during a phone conversation with Finnish President Alexander Stubbe and Norwegian Prime Minister Jonas Gahr Støre, lectured them on the history of Russia. The discussion specifically addressed the "history of the Slavs in the Middle Ages," the Financial Times (FT) reported on Tuesday, October 27. This was Putin's first interaction with Ukraine's European allies since July 2025, when he had a phone call with French President Emmanuel Macron. Initially, the conversation was expected to last less than half an hour, but it took 90 minutes. Instead of discussing key issues on how to end the war in Ukraine, Putin delivered a lengthy tirade on the "root causes of the conflict" as seen from the Kremlin's perspective, three sources reported. The possibility of an immediate ceasefire - Ukraine's main demand - was hardly discussed, the publication's sources added. Meanwhile, the leaders of Finland and Norway decided not to interrupt Putin's historical digressions to gauge how serious he is about dialogue with Europe, one source said. ## ## Putin Referenced Some "Genetic Studies" on "Russians and Ukrainians" On October 22, Putin referenced "recent genetic studies" which, according to him, show that "Russians and Ukrainians are one people." "This is how circumstances developed in historical Russia, and these are the realities today," the Russian president asserted. However, it is unclear which specific "studies" he was referring to. The leaders of Finland and Norway held a phone conversation with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky immediately after their discussion with Putin. "President Stubbe and Prime Minister Støre initiated the phone call (with Putin - Ed.) to discuss Russia's aggressive war against Ukraine, as well as diplomatic efforts to end the war and promote peace and stability in Europe," the Finnish side emphasized, noting that the politicians participated in the phone call as leaders of their countries and did not act as representatives of Europe. ## ## Criticism from Denmark and Italy Danish Prime Minister Mette Frederiksen told public broadcaster DR that she is very skeptical about this independent initiative from Norway and Finland. "It was not coordinated with any of us," she added. The press service of Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni stated that she has "great respect" for Stubbe and Støre, but added that this is not about a pan-European position. "First and foremost, this phone call clearly shows one thing: Europe has not yet reached an agreement on who should represent its interests in the peace process," they pointed out.
