STOCKHOLM, October 31. /TASS/. Finnish President Alexander Stubb said he and Norwegian Prime Minister Jonas Gahr Store held a phone call with Russian President Vladimir Putin at Ukraine’s request, as Kiev wanted to open a channel of communication with Moscow.
"This was about opening a channel of communication at Ukraine’s request," Stubb told broadcaster Yle.
Other European countries "were aware of the contents" of the conversation, he said. "This was the first time the EU received a direct message from Russia about the war in Ukraine or, for example, the situation in the Baltic Sea," he added.
Commenting on a Financial Times report claiming that the history of the Slavs had come up during the call, Stubb called it "incorrect information" and said the reports were "not true."
He also stressed that Finland "is not acting as a mediator" and would continue to support Ukraine.
Stubb and Store spoke with Putin on October 27 at the Finnish and Norwegian sides’ request. They exchanged views on efforts to resolve the Ukrainian crisis and welcomed the agreement to resume trilateral talks between Russia, Ukraine and the US in Abu Dhabi in the first half of November.
