Danish Prime Minister Mette Frederiksen criticizes the discussions held by the President of Finland and the Prime Minister of Norway with Vladimir Putin: “Europe must remain united”

Danish Prime Minister Mette Frederiksen criticized the phone calls held by Finnish President Alexander Stubb and Norwegian Prime Minister Jonas Gahr Støre with Russian leader Vladimir Putin, saying the initiative had not been coordinated with the other European states. The statements were made during a visit to Finland and reported by Danish public broadcaster DR.

Frederiksen said she was “very skeptical” of the discussions between the Finnish and Norwegian leaders and argued that Europe should maintain its unity rather than have individual states act separately. The Danish prime minister said she saw no sign that Russia wanted peace with Europe and accused Moscow of continuing to wage a hybrid war “every day.”

The reaction came after reports that Stubb and Gahr Støre had held a conversation described as “frank and substantial” with Vladimir Putin, during which they discussed the war in Ukraine.

The two leaders hosted negotiations in Oslo last week between representatives of the United States and Ukraine. Mette Frederiksen’s position highlights differences among European capitals over direct contacts with Moscow and how diplomatic initiatives related to the conflict should be coordinated.