Jonas Gahr Stoere said he did not expect Putin to change his mind but believed he has heard Europe’s position clearly. (EPA Images pic)OSLO: Norway's prime minister defended on Wednesday a three-way call with Vladimir Putin and Finland's president, saying it was intended to ensure the Russian leader heard European as well as US views.
Tuesday's call between Russia's Putin, Finnish President Alexander Stubb and Norwegian premier Jonas Gahr Stoere broke a longstanding practice among Western European leaders of shunning direct contact with the Kremlin, and was criticised by allies including Denmark's Mette Frederiksen.
The 90-minute call came ahead of what are expected to be the first face-to-face talks since February between Ukrainian and Russian officials, in Abu Dhabi next month.
