Putin derailed talks with Norway and Finland with a history rant – FT
Photo: Russian President Vladimir Putin (Getty Images)
Russian leader Vladimir Putin’s talks with Norwegian Prime Minister Jonas Gahr Støre and Finnish President Alexander Stubb did not go as the latter two had hoped, according to the Financial Times.
According to journalists familiar with the conversation, the Kremlin leader devoted much of his discussion with the Finnish and Norwegian leaders to his own interpretation of medieval Slavic history.
Although this was Putin’s first contact with a leader from one of Ukraine’s European allies since July last year, when he spoke with French President Emmanuel Macron, he showed little urgency in addressing current problems and challenges.
This behavior once again demonstrated the difficulties Europe faces in trying to gain influence over future peace negotiations with Russia.
Stubb told Finnish media that the call had initially been scheduled to last less than 30 minutes but ultimately stretched to an hour and a half.
According to three sources familiar with the talks, instead of having a substantive discussion about ways to end the war, Putin spent a long time discussing what the Kremlin calls the “initial reasons for the conflict.”
The sources also said that the issue of an immediate ceasefire, which Ukraine has been pushing for, was barely raised. The Scandinavian leaders deliberately refrained from interrupting the Russian dictator’s historical monologues so they could assess how willing he genuinely was to engage in dialogue with Europe.
Putin’s historical views have become one of the key ideological justifications for Russia’s full-scale invasion of Ukraine in February 2022. Just days before the invasion began, he delivered an hour-long televised address.
The Kremlin leader gave a similar historical lecture about medieval Slavic rulers during an unsuccessful summit with US President Donald Trump in August last year.
Last Thursday, Putin also cited what he called “the latest genetic research” to argue that Russians and Ukrainians are one people. He sought to support this claim through his own interpretation of Russia’s historical development and present-day realities.
In a joint statement, Stubb and Støre emphasized that they had wanted to convey their positions directly to Putin on the upcoming negotiations intended to help end the war. Those talks are planned for November in Abu Dhabi.
Earlier, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy revealed Norway and Finland’s intentions behind their talks with Putin.
He also commented on the Russian leader’s latest demand regarding NATO.
