European Commission was aware of planned conversation between Stubb, Støre and Putin: It is important to maintain unified message, - spokesperson
The European Commission was aware in advance of the phone call between Finnish President Alexander Stubb and Norwegian Prime Minister Jonas Gahr Støre with Russian dictator Vladimir Putin.
This was stated by European Commission Chief Spokesperson Paula Piño on Wednesday, October 28, according to Censor.NET, citing "European Pravda.
Details
The European Commission reported that it was aware of the planned contact between the two Northern European leaders and the Russian dictator.
"Yes, we were informed before the call," the spokesperson said.
Piño clarified that the conversation between Stubb and Støre with Putin took place on a bilateral basis and was a follow-up to the meeting in Oslo on October 20.
"What’s really important here is to maintain a unified message during any conversations with Putin," she emphasized.
In addition, the spokesperson noted that the European Commission’s position regarding Russia’s readiness for peace talks remains unchanged: "Unfortunately, we do not see much willingness on Putin’s part to participate in such discussions."
Europe’s participation in the talks
Regarding the possible participation of European representatives in upcoming talks on Ukraine in Abu Dhabi, Piño stated that at this time, "we do not have any additional information to share."
What led up to this?
- The leaders of Finland and Norway held talks with dictator Putin.
- The talks with Putin were held in consultation with Ukraine.
- This is Putin’s first direct contact with top-level European leaders who support Kyiv since French President Emmanuel Macron spoke with Putin in July last year.
- Zelenskyy also held a telephone conversation with Finnish President Alexander Stubb and Norwegian Prime Minister Jonas Gahr Støre.
- According to Stubb, the discussion was "frank and businesslike".
- Danish Prime Minister Mette Frederiksen is not particularly pleased with the telephone conversation her Scandinavian counterparts had with Putin.
