Norway's PM Jonas Gahr Støre: Admit the Kremlin isn't isolated
Støre defended his 27 October call with Vladimir Putin as "businesslike" and "successful" and warned Europe has not managed to isolate Russia.
Norway's prime minister Jonas Gahr Støre told European leaders they should acknowledge that their attempts to isolate Russia have failed, after criticism over his phone call with Russian president Vladimir Putin.
"Let's admit it: the Kremlin is not isolated," Støre said, defending the conversation and urging a more realistic appraisal of Europe's influence.
He said the call on 27 October was "businesslike" and described it as "successful". Støre argued that when many European governments refuse direct talks with the Russian leadership, Moscow increasingly only hears one interlocutor.
Call with Putin and European reactions
Støre spoke to Putin on 27 October together with Finnish president Alexander Stubb about the war in Ukraine. The bilateral call drew surprise and concern in parts of Europe, according to media reports.
Authorities in Denmark and Lithuania publicly said they prefer to continue efforts to isolate Russia, signalling a clear disagreement with Støre's decision to engage directly.
Støre reiterated his message that dialogue does not equal endorsement, and that Brussels should accept the practical limits of Europe's diplomatic reach if it wants to influence Moscow's behaviour.
Photo: press material from the event
