Støre Pushes Back on Financial Times Account of Putin Call
The Norwegian leader says he and the Russian president spoke for equal amounts of time, while the newspaper stands by its reporting.
By Rachel Wilson ·
Norwegian Prime Minister Jonas Gahr Støre rejected a report by the Financial Times that Vladimir Putin dominated a recent three-way phone call. The newspaper claimed the Kremlin leader spent nearly the entire duration of the conversation offering historical justifications for the war. Støre, speaking in an interview with TV 2, stated that the participants spoke for roughly equal amounts of time.
Støre and Finnish President Alexander Stubb spoke with Putin on Tuesday, October 27. The leaders described the purpose of the call as a chance to look for ways to de-escalate tensions and to create a European channel for dialogue. The Financial Times later published an account suggesting Putin used the time to explain the initial reasons for the conflict with Ukraine.
Støre denied that characterization in direct terms. He told the Norwegian broadcaster that the claim did not match reality and that he had asked the Financial Times to correct the information. Støre said Putin did ask to present his version of the current situation. In doing so, the Russian president reviewed history from 2014 to the present day.
The Norwegian prime minister clarified that this review of history was not a one-sided lecture. He described the dynamic of the call as a structured exchange where the European leaders set out their positions and requested feedback. Støre estimated that the hour and a half conversation was distributed fairly evenly among the speakers.
A spokesperson for the Financial Times told the Norwegian newspaper VG that the outlet stands by its journalism. The newspaper declined to make changes to the article and said it would not comment further on the matter or identify its sources. The Financial Times noted that it does not wish to clarify the origins of its information at this stage.
This dispute over the nature of the call comes as European leaders assess the progress of diplomatic efforts. On October 28, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy indicated that Russia appears serious about holding a meeting of negotiating teams in Abu Dhabi. He added that a planned trilateral meeting of technical teams from Ukraine, Russia, and the United States in early November depends on the American side.
Paula Pinho, the chief spokesperson for the European Commission, confirmed that the European Commission was informed in advance about the phone call between Støre, Stubb, and Putin. The call took place just before Zelenskyy announced the potential for further technical discussions in the coming weeks.
Source: Ukrainska Pravda
