Finland, Norway Call Putin Directly Ahead of Ukraine Peace Talks

Finland and Norway have made a rare direct call to Russian President Vladimir Putin, breaking with Western efforts to isolate him diplomatically. The two Nordic leaders urged de-escalation ahead of peace talks scheduled for November. Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy said the leaders pressed Putin over Russia's attacks on Ukraine's energy infrastructure. The Kremlin repeated that any settlement must address Russia's demands.