Hello and welcome to Vlast! This time we look at the Kremlin’s surprisingly warm reaction to a diplomatic effort from Finland and Norway to begin peace negotiations.
We also introduce a ”Person in the news” format in which we look at the arrest of prominent political analyst Alexander Kynev.
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‘Serious’ initiative by Finland and Norway welcomed by Kremlin
A 90-minute phone call last week between Russian President Vladimir Putin and the leaders of Finland and Norway initiated by the European side was received warmly by the Kremlin and could lead to substantive negotiations, according to Vlast’s sources.
The contact was welcomed by Putin because he sees Norway and Finland as less belligerent than other European countries like France, Germany, and the United Kingdom, according to a source close to the Kremlin involved in unofficial negotiations. “They [Finland and Norway] want to establish a permanent, systematic process rather than just hold sporadic meetings,” the source said.
The call was the first serious attempt by European leaders to talk to the Russian leader since the full-scale invasion in 2022—and appeared to demonstrate that Europe’s “zero contact” policy with the Russian leader was effectively at an end.
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