Støre made the remarks on Oct. 28, Reuters
reported.
He said that he and Finnish President Alexander Stubb tried
during the call to determine “what needs to happen so this war does not
continue endlessly for months.” Støre acknowledged that finding a solution had
become “even more difficult.”
“I don’t think he [Putin] will change his mind, but he has
the opportunity to hear our position very clearly. I am concerned that he may
not hear all of these messages when the Americans speak with him,” Støre said.
Asked whether peace could be achieved without territorial
concessions by Ukraine, Støre noted that “Russia currently controls almost 20%
of [Ukrainian territory].”
“Ukraine will never sign an agreement recognizing that it
has lost territory. But whether Ukrainians can accept the current front line as
a reality and a starting point is another question,” he said.
“The key question is what security guarantees Ukraine can
receive after a peace agreement. Putin recognizes that this is the key issue,”
Støre concluded.
On Oct. 27, Stubb and Støre held a phone call with
Putin about the war in Ukraine.
The call was Putin’s first direct contact with European
leaders who support Ukraine since his conversation with French President
Emmanuel Macron in July 2025.
The Financial Times, citing sources familiar with the
discussion, reported that Putin spent much of the call with Stubb and Støre
giving them a “lecture” on the medieval history of ancient Slavs.