Finland and Norway leaders call Putin on ending Ukraine war

How it developed

1. 28 Oct 2026→ in the 28 Oct 2026 issue

   Finland and Norway leaders call Putin on ending Ukraine war

   • Trump said a meeting between Zelensky and Putin will be set up soon.
   • Finland's President Alexander Stubb and Norwegian Prime Minister Jonas Gahr Støre held a three-way call with Putin on Tuesday, their first conversation with him, which Helsinki described as direct and factual and both leaders described as frank and substantive about ending the war; Stubb said the war will not end through silence.
   • A local ceasefire brokered by Melania Trump began in the Russian-occupied southern Ukrainian city of Oleshky, and the frontline there appeared quiet for the first time in years ahead of a planned evacuation.
2. 24 Oct 2026→ in the 24 Oct 2026 issue

   Ukraine-Russia-US negotiators meet in Abu Dhabi talks

   • Zelensky said Ukrainian, Russian and US negotiators are set to meet in early November in Abu Dhabi.
   • Zelensky said on Friday that Beijing has "influence" over Moscow and should use it to help stop the war, and he referred to a proposed summit meeting of the US, China and Russia.
   • US-Ukrainian ties have soured in recent weeks after warmer relations over the summer, raising worries of a deeper break between the two countries.
3. 23 Oct 2026→ in the 23 Oct 2026 issue

   Russia-Ukraine peace talks and final deal terms

   • Russia fired three waves of missiles, including ballistic missiles, at Ukraine and Kyiv hours after saying it was 'ready in principle' to resume peace talks with the US and Ukraine.
   • Zelensky said the fresh Russian strikes show 'no change' in the Kremlin's position, noting that Moscow fired ballistic missiles just after US envoy Steve Witkoff met Putin.
   • Putin said Russia is ready to resume three-way talks with Ukraine and the US but wants them to focus on the security parameters of a final peace deal, not a 'short' ceasefire.
4. 22 Oct 2026→ in the 22 Oct 2026 issue

   Russia agrees to trilateral talks with US and Ukraine

   • Putin has agreed to resume US-mediated three-way peace talks with Ukraine and the United States at negotiator level as soon as November, according to the Kremlin, and Zelensky has said Ukraine supports the proposal.
   • Kremlin officials remain skeptical of the new peace push, with Russia saying it is 'ready in principle' to resume talks while the BBC's Russia editor reports that Putin does not feel under pressure to end the war.
   • Trump said the world is 'the closest we've been' to ending the war in Ukraine.
5. 21 Oct 2026→ in the 21 Oct 2026 issue

   Trump Russia-friendly moves toward ending Ukraine war

   • Zelensky said Ukraine is again receiving early warnings of Russian missile attacks after a call with U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio, following recent attacks that came without enough notice.
   • Rubio described Witkoff's talks with Zelensky in Norway as positive, and Zelensky and Witkoff met in Oslo amid renewed optimism.
   • Rubio said a "very difficult negotiation" is under way to resolve the war and that Ukraine would not exist without US support.
6. 20 Oct 2026→ in the 20 Oct 2026 issue

   US-Ukraine-Russia peace negotiations

   • Zelensky accused the United States on Monday of deliberately delaying Patriot interceptor missiles that European allies had already paid for, while Trump called for someone other than Zelensky to negotiate an end to the war.
   • Zelensky said Kyiv again received no advance intelligence warning from partners about Russian missile and drone attacks on Ukraine's energy and civilian infrastructure, while the White House said there had been no changes to US intelligence sharing.
   • Trump said on Monday that Zelensky should get someone else to negotiate on Kyiv's behalf to end the war with Russia.
7. 18 Oct 2026→ in the 18 Oct 2026 issue

   Zelenskyy hopes for trilateral meeting with US and Russia at G20