Nordic Leaders Call Putin as Oleshky Truce Begins

Finnish President Alexander Stubb and Norwegian Prime Minister Jonas Gahr Støre spoke by phone with Russian President Vladimir Putin on Tuesday. The call was arranged in consultation with Ukraine and follows a meeting held in Oslo on Oct. 20. That earlier gathering included Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy and U.S. special envoy Steve Witkoff.

The two Nordic leaders initiated the discussion to review the current state of the war and upcoming trilateral talks. Those negotiations are scheduled for November in Abu Dhabi, United Arab Emirates. The statements from both countries confirmed that Stubb and Støre spoke on behalf of their individual nations, not the European Union as a whole.

Stubb described the conversation as frank and substantive. He noted that Finland and Norway are neighboring countries to Russia. The outcome of the conflict will have a direct impact on their security and that of the wider region. He stated that ending the war requires direct discussions.

Støre emphasized the human and material costs of the ongoing fighting. He said the suffering and destruction would impact generations. The Prime Minister noted that the call stressed the importance of de-escalation. The timing of the call coincided with the start of a localized ceasefire in southern Ukraine.

Russia and Ukraine began observing a pause in fighting in the city of Oleshky at 3 a.m. Tuesday. This halt in combat allows for a humanitarian mission brokered by U.S. First Lady Melania Trump. Moscow continued missile attacks on other cities during the same period. The truce is designed to facilitate aid delivery before evacuation corridors are opened.

Up to 2,000 people remain stranded in Oleshky. They are unable to leave due to explosive mines and drone attacks in the area. The city is located in the Kherson region, which is partly occupied by Russian forces. Food and medical supplies are running low for the residents. The local ceasefire is due to last through Saturday or longer if needed.

Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov said there have been no reports of violations so far. Russian and Ukrainian negotiators confirmed in separate statements that the ceasefire had begun. Melania Trump led talks with civilian negotiators after receiving briefings from U.N. officials. Pope Leo XIV also urged both leaders to allow aid into the city earlier this month.

The quiet in Oleshky stands in contrast to daily life in the region. Ukrainian authorities reported that only Russian reconnaissance drones were in the sky on Tuesday. Yaroslav Shanko, head of the Kherson city administration, said the lull is unusual. He typically uses a portable drone detector that constantly picks up aircraft overhead, but it had gone silent.

Shanko cautioned that it is too early to draw conclusions. He noted that previous announced ceasefires had no effect on Kherson. City services plan to use the pause to carry out utility work that is usually too dangerous because of constant drone activity. The local pause is centered on Oleshky and nearby parts of the Kherson region.

Russian ballistic missiles damaged the grounds of a university in Kyiv late Monday. One person was killed and 10 were injured in that attack. Authorities in Kharkiv said attacks late Monday killed two people and injured four. Zelenskyy wrote online that the world sees Russia showing a desire to continue waging war. The full-scale invasion nears its five-year mark in February.