Tusk shared a "very restrained optimistic" impression after the Europeans' talks with putin

Polish Prime Minister Donald Tusk reacted to the talks between Norwegian Prime Minister Jonas Gahr Støre and Finnish President Alexander Stubb with Kremlin head Vladimir Putin, providing details of the European consultations before and after the call. UNN reports this with reference to The Guardian.

Details

Speaking on October 27 ahead of a cabinet meeting in Warsaw, Tusk said that the call took place "after consultations with me, among others, but above all with President Zelenskyy and the American side,... that it would be good for European politicians to have a working contact, bearing in mind the planned talks on a ceasefire, which may take place in Abu Dhabi".

He said that talks in the UAE between Russia, Ukraine, and the United States were tentatively scheduled for November 4.

Tusk confirmed that he had been informed in advance about the plans for the call, and that Norwegian Prime Minister Støre assured him that he and Stubb were ready to assume political responsibility for this rare interaction with Putin and would adhere to the agreed position of the "coalition of the willing".

He said that after the conversation, Finnish Prime Minister Stubb informed him that "both sides are maintaining their positions", and that "the impression of the European side during the conversation was one of very restrained optimism" regarding the chances of making progress in Abu Dhabi.

Tusk said that he was "very cautious" about engagement with Russia, and urged Stubb and Støre to be "vigilant" in talks with Putin, since "Russia's agenda and interests are quite clearly defined, and one should harbor no illusions about reaching an agreement".

He said that Stubb and Støre also told Putin that the security of NATO's northern and eastern flanks "is not negotiable".

The Polish prime minister also stressed that, despite the resumption of dialogue, "nothing is changing" in Europe's "full support for Ukraine" or in collective views on the "[broader] security architecture and security guarantees for Ukraine".

"We must not have any illusions; it is clear what the Russian side is playing for, but I will maintain constant contact with everyone who has goodwill and faith that an agreement is possible – or, at the very least, a ceasefire before winter", Tusk said, summing up the talks.

Without specifying the source of his claim, Tusk said that "three or four nights ago" "Russia lost 2,500 people" in one night. "This gives us an idea of how horrific the further consequences of this war could be", he pointed out.

Recall

Norwegian Prime Minister Jonas Gahr Støre and Finnish President Alexander Stubb on October 27 held a telephone conversation with Kremlin head Vladimir Putin – following talks in Oslo with President of Ukraine Volodymyr Zelenskyy and U.S. envoys Steve Witkoff and Jared Kushner on October 20 and "in consultation with Ukraine".

Stubb and Støre, as noted by the Finnish president's office, "initiated the conversation to discuss Russia's war of aggression against Ukraine and diplomatic efforts to end the war and promote peace and stability in Europe".

"The purpose of the conversation was to convey a message directly to President Putin regarding future negotiations that would help end the war. The conversation concerned future meetings to be held in Abu Dhabi", Stubb's office said.

According to Støre , the conversation with Putin lasted 90 minutes, although it had initially been scheduled for only 20 minutes.

Afterward, Stubb reported having had a "good telephone conversation" with President of Ukraine Volodymyr Zelenskyy as part of "efforts to seek a just and lasting peace" in Ukraine.  

President of Ukraine Volodymyr Zelenskyy reported details of the conversation with the leaders of Finland and Norway. According to the head of state, they "clearly told the Russian leader that real de-escalatory steps are needed regarding our energy sector and infrastructure". They also discussed preparations for a trilateral Ukraine–U.S.–Russia meeting, scheduled for November at the team level, Zelenskyy said.