Ukrainian Foreign Minister Andrii Sybiha urges Europe to act “with one voice”: There is no longer time for debates about who should talk to Russia

Riana Gegiu

28 October 2026, 12:51

International

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Ukrainian Foreign Minister Andrii Sîbiga defended on Wednesday the telephone conversation held the previous day by Finnish President Alexander Stubb and Norwegian Prime Minister Jonas Gahr Store with Vladimir Putin. The discussion focused on identifying solutions for ending the war in Ukraine, as Kyiv seeks to accelerate diplomatic efforts.

Sîbiga acknowledged that the discussion could have been better coordinated, but rejected criticism from some of Ukraine’s supporters and stressed that “there is no more time” for endless debates about who should represent Europe’s voice. The minister confirmed that the discussion was coordinated with Kyiv, and that the Nordic leaders conveyed President Volodymyr Zelensky’s position to Putin.

The conversation, initially planned to last 20 minutes, was extended to approximately 90 minutes. Stubb and Store asked the Russian leader to halt attacks on Ukrainian energy infrastructure, allow grain shipments through the Black Sea, advance prisoner exchanges, and accept an extended ceasefire.

The two stated that they were not mediators and were not speaking on behalf of all of Europe. Store said that the United States should not be the only voice in discussions with Russia. Putin nevertheless reiterated that peace would be possible only if Russia’s interests were fully taken into account and accused the EU and NATO of prolonging the war.

Context: before the Stubb–Støre call with Putin, the EU was divided between messages conveyed directly and the idea of a common mandate

Before the call with Vladimir Putin, Finnish President Alexander Stubb and Norwegian Prime Minister Jonas Gahr Store prepared for the discussion in close coordination with Ukraine and the United States, after the peace negotiations had made no progress. The initiative was anchored in an earlier discussion: Volodymyr Zelenskyy and U.S. envoy Steve Witkoff spoke in Oslo about the opportunity for direct contact with Putin.

At the same time, pressure for clearer coordination emerged at the European level: Italy called for the rapid appointment of a common EU representative for negotiations with Russia, while Danish Prime Minister Mette Frederiksen criticized the Nordic countries’ direct contacts, arguing that Europe must remain united. Ukraine also indicated a negotiating position: Kyiv is willing to engage in technical discussions while awaiting a meeting, whereas the Kremlin stated that Putin would meet Zelenskyy only to sign a peace agreement in a third country.