Updated

Finnish President Alexander Stubb said his phone call with Vladimir Putin was straightforward, but Russia's position on Ukraine remains unchanged, according to Ukrainska Pravda. Stubb told Frankfurter Allgemeine Zeitung that he and Norwegian Prime Minister Jonas Gahr Støre held the call with Putin on 27 October on their own initiative, and that it was agreed with Ukraine to convey Ukraine's key messages on the Abu Dhabi negotiations directly to Russia. Stubb described Putin as perceptive, analytical and very well prepared, and said Putin continues to deny Ukraine's independence, sovereignty and territorial integrity, though talks have returned to the negotiating table in Abu Dhabi. Stubb said both Norway and Finland border Russia, so the war's outcome will directly affect their security and Europe's, and he warned against handing responsibility for European security to the United States. He rejected claims that the call divided Europe, saying it was the first time Europe could act as a mediator, and urged Germany, France and Italy to lead European efforts to join the Ukraine negotiations. Asked about failed attempts to bring Putin to the table, he said hopes that trade would produce change had not materialised, but diplomacy requires persistence. Zelenskyy said Stubb and Støre had clearly told Putin that real de-escalation measures on Ukraine's energy infrastructure were needed.