Finnish Minister Calls on Leaders to Halt Further Dialogue With Putin

Finnish Foreign Minister Elina Valtonen urged Western leaders to avoid further phone calls with Russian leader Vladimir Putin, following German Chancellor Olaf Scholz’s recent conversation with him, according to ARD on November 17.

"The most important thing is that we understand we must not engage in another race for attention from the Kremlin right now," Valtonen said on ARD. "It won’t help if the leaders of European states make coordinated or uncoordinated phone calls with Putin," she added, calling for close cooperation with Kyiv on the issue.

Chancellor Scholz spoke with Putin on November 15, marking their first conversation in nearly two years. According to an official press release, Scholz "condemned Russia’s war of aggression against Ukraine and called on President Putin to end it and withdraw troops."

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy confirmed that Scholz had informed him of his plans to call Putin but voiced concerns, describing the move as a potential "Pandora's box."

Earlier, French President Emmanuel Macron noted that Putin is not prepared for peace negotiations. When asked about Olaf Scholz's call with Putin, French President Emmanuel Macron said he was "not here to comment" and noted that "every leader is free to take the initiative." Macron added he has "never ruled out" resuming talks with Putin but would do so only "when the context and conditions are right."