Russia’s push for a new European security order would force 16 nations to lose NATO membership if the demand for NATO to pull back to its 1997 borders is accepted, [la.lv] reported.
During talks in Abū Dabī, Russian representatives laid out terms to European diplomats that include forcing Finland out of the alliance and stripping the Baltic states of military bases, [lsm.lv] reported.
Moscow demands that it keep occupied Ukrainian land and take the entire Donbas, including parts of Donetsk and Luhansk currently controlled by Kyiv. The plan also requires a ban on NATO military bases in Estonia, Latvia, and Lithuania, alongside Finnish withdrawal, [lsm.lv] reported.
The terms mandate Ukrainian neutrality and bar Kyiv from joining NATO, though membership in the European Union is left untouched, [lsm.lv] reported.
Demilitarization and Regional Changes
The aggressor state’s terms also demand the demilitarization of the ports of Odesa and Mykolaiv. Agreements would govern free navigation in the Black Sea and the Baltic Sea, [lsm.lv] reported.
Russia proposes turning Moldova into a federation. Transnistria and Gagauzia would gain the right to hold independence referendums if Moldova joins the European Union, [lsm.lv] reported.
In exchange, Moscow offers to pull nuclear weapons and intermediate-range missiles out of Belarus. It also promises to withdraw troops from Transnistria, [lsm.lv] reported.
The proposals were delivered informally in diplomatic corridors. European officials sat outside the room while the United States, Russia, and Ukraine held trilateral talks in Abū Dabī, [lsm.lv] reported.
Moscow links peace terms to NATO border limits
The demand for NATO to pull back to its 1997 borders echoes a longstanding Kremlin stance. Vladimir Putin criticized Western dominance and NATO enlargement during the 2007 Munich Security Conference, [la.lv] reported.
Jānis Slaidiņš explained that Moscow frequently links peace terms to limits on Western military presence, [la.lv] reported.
“Putin joprojām izmanto apgalvojumus par Rietumu it kā dotajiem un vēlāk pārkāptajiem solījumiem,” said Jānis Slaidiņš, told [la.lv].
Parallel groups of intermediaries, including military-linked channels, are competing behind the scenes. It remains unclear whether Vladimir Putin specifically backs this exact plan, [lsm.lv] reported.
Who participated in the Abū Dabī meetings and what are Moscow's demands?
Who participated in the Abū Dabī meetings?
The trilateral talks involved representatives from the United States, Russia, and Ukraine. European diplomats did not sit at the negotiating table, [lsm.lv] reported.
What specific changes does Moscow demand for Moldova?
Russia proposes restructuring Moldova into a federated state. Transnistria and Gagauzia would receive rights to hold independence referendums if the country enters the European Union, [lsm.lv] reported.
How does Slaidiņš view the 1997 border rollback demand?
Slaidiņš said that tying peace to a retreat of NATO boundaries would affect 16 nations that joined after that year.
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