Kyiv hopes for ‘new momentum’ in peace talks after Finnish and Norwegian leaders’ call with Putin – as it happened
Alexander Stubb and Jonas Gahr Støre held ‘substantive’ talk with Russian president on peace negotiations, but faced sceptical reactions from some European leaders
Sybiha confirms Putin phone call was 'coordinated' with Ukraine as Kyiv hopes for 'new momentum' in peace talks
Ukraine’s foreign minister Andrii Sybiha has confirmed the Finnish and Norwegian call with Putin was coordinated with Ukraine, saying it was “the right approach” to any engagement with Putin.
asserted
it → hop → Putin
Speaking alongside Finnish and Norwegian foreign ministers in Helsinki, Sybiha said:
“We welcome such active support for our diplomatic efforts and peace process.
asserted
We → speak → efforts
This call was, as it was mentioned, coordinated with us, and this is the right approach. …
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this → mention → us
I will say this once again, Ukraine wants to end this war.
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Ukraine → say → war
We have doable proposals and solutions.
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We → have → proposals
Of course, everything needs to be fair.
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everything → need → ?
We will not take any one-sided steps.”
asserted
We → take → steps
Sybiha said that Ukraine was looking for “a new momentum” in peace talks with Russia, and to “define new role for Europe in our peace efforts.”
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Ukraine → say → efforts
“So president Zelenskyy shared with his vision which signals our friends should convey directly to the Putin, and these signals were conveyed.
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signals → share → Putin
We are ready to meet with him. …
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We → meet → him
Probably the only way to get …. new quality in our talks is a meeting at the level of president Zelenskyy and Putin.”
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way → get → Zelenskyy
He later said that the negotiators can only discuss things up to a certain level, but key decisions can only be made by the heads of states.
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decisions → say → states
He also added that Kyiv was “ready for the trilateral meeting” in the UAE next month, and “we will use every opportunity to bring peace closer.”
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we → add → peace
He also welcomed the limited ceasefire in Oleshky, saying it could “pave the way for other steps in the peace process as a confidence-building measure.”
uncertain
it → welcome → measure
But conceded that “the reality on the ground in Ukraine remains very tough” as a result of relentless Russian strikes.
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reality → concede → strikes
And, on that note, we will be closing the blog for today.
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we → close → today
Finland’s influential president Alexander Stubb and Norway’s prime minister Jonas Gahr Støre held a 90-minute phone call with Russia’s Vladimir Putin as they continue attempts to break the deadlock in peace talks between Russia and Ukraine (10:41).
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they → hold → Russia
Finland’s Stubb welcomed the “frank and substantive” phone call, insisting that “ending the war requires direct discussions” with Russia.
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ending → welcome → Russia
Støre insisted “all our partners and allies were informed in advance” (13:43), despite scepticism or outright criticism from the Danish, Estonian, Polish and Swedish prime ministers (11:26, 14:03, 15:01, 15:53).
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partners → insist → ministers
But he conceded that “there remain significant differences in our respective positions.”
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he → concede → positions
Ukraine’s Volodymyr Zelenskyy called for “real de-escalatory steps” in the conflict after his debrief with the two Nordic leaders (11:55).
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Zelenskyy → call → leaders
Ukraine’s foreign minister Andrii Sybiha confirmed the call was “coordinated” with Ukraine and said he hoped for “a new momentum” on peace talks with Russia (16:27).
But the Kremlin readout revealed that Russia’s Vladimir Putin blamed the EU and Nato for “confrontational policies” and demanded “full and unconditional recognition of the legitimate interests of the Russian Federation”(11:53).
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Putin → confirm → Federation”(11:53
The phone call took place just hours after a localised ceasefire kicked in the Ukrainian city of Oreshky after intense calls for humanitarian aid to be made available to the city’s residents (9:55, 17:08).
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aid → take → residents
Elsewhere,
Wes Streeting, the UK defence secretary, has warned that Russia’s Vladimir Putin is “testing us and testing Nato’s resolve” as he condemned hybrid threats and “state-sponsored terrorism” from Russia (12:05).
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he → warn → Russia
Romania has summoned the Russian ambassador today, blaming Moscow for a recent fire at the state-owned Carfil defence plant in Brașov (16:10).
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Romania → summon → Brașov
The Netherlands has dropped (again) from the 2027 Eurovision song contest amid “sensitivities” over Israel’s participation in the competition (12:35).
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Netherlands → drop → competition
If you have any tips, comments or suggestions, email me at jakub.krupa@theguardian.com.
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you → have → jakub.krupa@theguardian.com
Oleshky ceasefire has been expanded territorially to guarantee safe passage of humanitarian convoys, Melania Trump says
The US first lady, Melania Trump, has issued a brief statement confirming the humanitarian ceasefire in Oleshky, Ukraine, which she was involved in organising.
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she → expand → Oleshky
In a statement, she said “timing was accelerated two days ahead of schedule to protect the safety of civilians and to facilitate the delivery of critical humanitarian aid.”
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timing → say → aid
She also added that “the ceasefire’s geographic area has expanded beyond Oleshky, within the Kherson Region, to provide safe passage for the humanitarian convoys.”
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area → add → convoys
'Every decision which supports peace efforts is timely,' Ukraine's Sybiha says in response to Putin call criticism
Ukraine’s Sybiha has also pushed back against suggestions that it’s not a good moment for having a call with Putin.
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it → support → Putin
“If you are at war, every decision, every step which support peace efforts is always timely.
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which → support → efforts
So that’s why we welcome such type of steps, efforts to speed up our negotiations.
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we → ’ → negotiations
He also added that the European channel should not be seen as “the alternative” for the US-led talks, but “a supplementary track.”
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channel → add → talks
Sybiha confirms Putin phone call was 'coordinated' with Ukraine as Kyiv hopes for 'new momentum' in peace talks
Ukraine’s foreign minister Andrii Sybiha has confirmed the Finnish and Norwegian call with Putin was coordinated with Ukraine, saying it was “the right approach” to any engagement with Putin.
Speaking alongside Finnish and Norwegian foreign ministers in Helsinki, Sybiha said:
“We welcome such active support for our diplomatic efforts and peace process.
asserted
We → confirm → efforts
This call was, as it was mentioned, coordinated with us, and this is the right approach.
asserted
this → mention → us
I will say this once again, Ukraine wants to end this war.
asserted
Ukraine → say → war
We have doable proposals and solutions.
asserted
We → have → proposals
Of course, everything needs to be fair.
asserted
everything → need → ?
We will not take any one-sided steps.”
asserted
We → take → steps
…and 75 more, not listed.
The Aporia
