Russia again demands NATO forces be pulled back to 1997 lines in talks with US
Ahead of a visit by US envoys to the Kremlin, Russia has reportedly renewed demands similar to its December 2021 ultimatum, according to The New York Times. They include moving NATO forces back to their 1997 positions.
Two days before US President Donald Trump's envoys Steve Witkoff and Jared Kushner visit the Kremlin, Russia has once again demanded in closed-door talks that NATO forces be withdrawn to their 1997 lines, the US newspaper The New York Times reports. The demand matters because Moscow put forward similar terms before its renewed invasion of Ukraine.
The document
The demands are set out in a document dated 10 November. A person involved in the talks passed it to the newspaper, and another informed source confirmed its authenticity.
Overall, the document differs little from the draft agreement Russia published in December 2021. That text envisaged moving all NATO military infrastructure back to where it stood before 1997, that is, outside the territory of the former Warsaw Pact states. Russia demanded that all provisions be accepted without discussion.
What has changed
According to The New York Times, the differences concern only some details. In 2021, Moscow demanded that the US not share its nuclear forces with European allies. Now a similar demand is directed at the two other NATO nuclear powers, Britain and France.
Russia also insists that Western countries must not supply Ukraine with any military-related products. The Kremlin reportedly says Ukraine's accession to the European Union could be acceptable, but only on condition that Kyiv does not take part in the bloc's defence system.
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