Russia is considering concluding non-aggression treaties with individual NATO member states as part of shaping a new security system in Europe, Reuters reports.
At a conference in Moscow, Russian Foreign Ministry representative Alexei Drobinin presented three possible options for arrangements.
The first envisages creating a joint defence alliance or bilateral mutual assistance agreements, similar to Russia’s arrangements with Belarus and North Korea.
The second option is political commitments not to support each other’s adversaries in the event of aggression. The third is bilateral non-aggression treaties. According to Drobinin, such agreements could also be concluded by individual NATO members, receiving additional security guarantees from Russia.
Russia’s chief negotiator Vladimir Medinsky said that the issue of a new European security system was the central topic of the two-day talks in Abu Dhabi. According to him, some understanding was reached with the American side on certain issues, but positions remain different on others.
Earlier, The Telegraph, citing diplomatic sources, reported that Moscow may demand a reduction of NATO’s military presence in Europe to 1997 levels. This could involve the withdrawal of Alliance troops from Poland, the Baltic states and Finland.
At the same time, according to The Washington Post, US special envoy Jared Kushner is proposing using as a model the NATO–Russia Council, created in 2002 and suspended after Russia’s aggression against Ukraine in 2014. The aims of such a format include ongoing security consultations, communication channels in the event of crises, and increased military transparency.
In the Kremlin, they insisted on a trilateral format for talks involving Ukraine, the United States and Russia. At the same time, US representatives held separate consultations with European partners on the continent’s security. Some European politicians believe that a new security architecture should be discussed only after progress has been made towards ending the war in Ukraine.
- Previously, President Zelensky said that discussions about a new security infrastructure between Europe and Russia could be dangerous if started before the terms for ending the war and security guarantees for Ukraine are defined.
Talks in Abu Dhabi: Key Points
- The talks in Abu Dhabi took place over two days — 10 and 11 November — with the participation of Ukrainian, Russian and American delegations, as well as representatives from Europe.
- President Zelensky highlighted three main outcomes of the meetings. The first was a humanitarian agreement to prepare a new prisoner exchange.
- The second area was security guarantees. According to the President, the participants discussed their approaches to this issue. The first step should be ending the war, and Ukraine must receive security guarantees.
- The third result was a discussion of broader formats for further work involving European partners.
- Trump’s special envoy Jared Kushner reported some progress in the talks, but noted that the issue of territories remains the most difficult.
- US representatives Jared Kushner and Steve Witkoff will travel on 12 November to see Vladimir Putin in Moscow to discuss the results of the talks. They will later meet with Ukrainian representatives in Dublin.