During closed-door talks with representatives of US President Donald Trump on ending the war against Ukraine, Russia has again demanded that Nato withdraw its troops to their 1997 positions. This would mean returning the Alliance’s forces and military bases to the borders that existed before its eastward expansion.
The New York Times reports this, citing a document circulated by Russian officials during talks in Abu Dhabi on 10 November. The newspaper obtained a copy of the document from a participant in the negotiations, and its authenticity was confirmed by another person familiar with the course of the meetings.
According to the newspaper, Moscow has effectively repeated the demands it put forward in December 2021, two months before the start of the full-scale invasion. At the time, Russia demanded that Nato stop expanding and reduce its military presence in Central and Eastern Europe.
The current document stipulates that Nato countries must отказаться from any further expansion of the Alliance and any military activity in Ukraine, Eastern Europe, the South Caucasus and Central Asia. Russia also insists on ending supplies of Western weapons and military equipment to Ukraine.
In addition, the Kremlin wants France and the United Kingdom to rule out the use of their nuclear arsenals to protect other European countries. Russia says it would accept Ukraine joining the EU only on the condition that Ukraine does not take part in the bloc’s common defence policy.
The article notes that the document reflects Russia’s opening position, and that its representatives during the talks did not rule out the possibility of certain concessions. At the same time, US officials urged Moscow to take account of the changes since 2021 and to focus on future arrangements.
- After the talks in Abu Dhabi, Trump’s special envoys Steve Witkoff and Jared Kushner travelled to Moscow, where they met with Vladimir Putin. After the meeting, the Russian president’s adviser Yuri Ushakov said that Moscow’s 2021 proposal to withdraw Nato forces still reflects Russia’s vision for European security.
- Later, US representatives met in Dublin with Ukraine’s President Volodymyr Zelenskyy. Jared Kushner said that it is impossible to reach an agreement without the participation of European countries.
- Poland’s Prime Minister Donald Tusk called Russia’s demands unacceptable and said that accepting them would pose a direct threat to Poland’s security.