No Sign Putin is Ready for a Deal: Norway's Støre After Direct Talks

Norwegian Prime Minister Jonas Gahr Støre told Politico he had seen no sign “so far” that Russian President Vladimir Putin was genuinely open to a deal to end the war in Ukraine.

Støre's assessment comes after he and Finnish President Alexander Stubb held a rare direct call with the Russian leader in recent weeks.

Støre said Putin’s willingness to take the call suggested he was prepared to sit down.

He urged caution about what the next round of talks could achieve and said it should be followed by another meeting soon.

He said Moscow would pay a price if it sent a delegation and was responsible for the talks yielding nothing.

Russian and Ukrainian negotiators are due to meet U.S. officials in Abu Dhabi on Nov. 10–11 for the first three-way talks since February.

U.S. President Donald Trump has predicted a deal is close after nearly five years of full-scale war.

Støre said the talks could cover a Black Sea ceasefire to allow safe grain shipments, a halt to strikes on energy infrastructure and a freeze along the front line.

Prisoner swaps could also be discussed, he said, and work has been underway on security guarantees for Ukraine.

Europe’s Role in the Talks

Støre and Stubb called Putin on Oct. 27. The 90-minute conversation drew concern in Denmark and Latvia, where some favored maintaining Putin’s diplomatic isolation.

Støre described the conversation as professional and rational and said European leaders needed to make their case for supporting Ukraine directly to Moscow.

“The only voice reaching Moscow comes from Washington,” he told Politico.

In October, Støre hosted Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy and Trump envoy Steve Witkoff in Oslo to help revive the talks.

He said European countries should now agree on common goals and choose who will convey them to Trump and Putin.

He pointed to Germany, France and the U.K. as countries that could take on that role.

European leaders are due to discuss representation in the Ukraine negotiations at an informal summit in Dublin later this week.

The debate comes as the Trump administration weighs changes to European security arrangements, raising concerns in Europe about a reduced U.S. troop presence and a weaker NATO role.

Støre said any talks on Europe’s wider security arrangements should take place after the war ends.

He said Russia had revived its late-2021 proposals about where NATO could have a presence. He said Russia had no authority to make those decisions.