Putin holds rare calls with Nordic leaders and courts African summit
The gist
Russian President Vladimir Putin held a rare call with Finland's and Norway's leaders and hosted nearly 50 African nations in Moscow.
The outreach marks a break in Putin's isolation from Western leaders since 2022.
How it unfolded
- Oct 20, 2026Talks on Ukraine were held in Oslo with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy and US special envoy Steve Witkoff.
- Oct 21, 2026Witkoff met Putin in St Petersburg, after which the Kremlin said it was ready to resume US-mediated talks with Kyiv that had stalled in February.
- Oct 27, 2026Finnish President Alexander Stubb and Norwegian Prime Minister Jonas Gahr Støre called Putin from Helsinki on their own initiative to convey messages on future negotiations. That night Russia attacked Kyiv's transport infrastructure, hitting the South Bridge with 16 ballistic missiles and more than 280 drones, officials said.