During talks, Russia put forward new ultimatums that go beyond demands made in 2021, - WP
At this week’s peace talks, Russia once again reiterated the ultimatums it had issued to the US and NATO on the eve of its full-scale invasion of Ukraine in February 2022.
This is reported by The Washington Post, according to Censor.NET.
Moscow’s demands regarding the reduction of NATO’s presence
Moscow has once again set out its demands for a review of the entire European security architecture, calling on NATO to reduce its military presence to 1997 levels — the period prior to the Alliance’s eastward expansion beyond Germany.
As the Washington Post notes, citing the Russian Federation’s negotiating positions, these demands mirror the ultimatums issued by the Kremlin to the US and NATO prior to the full-scale invasion of Ukraine.
If implemented, these provisions would have meant a ban on the deployment of Alliance troops and weapons in countries that joined after 1997, notably Poland, Hungary, the Czech Republic and the Baltic states. The agreement was ultimately blocked by the stance taken by the Joe Biden administration and its allies, who immediately rejected these demands as unacceptable.
In some respects, the new document goes even further than the draft security ‘treaties’ that Russia put forward in 2021 — immediately before its invasion.
Putin’s long-term goal
Previously, Russia had demanded only that the US refrain from deploying nuclear weapons in Europe, thereby depriving America’s allies on the continent of their defence. The new proposals include demands that France and Britain also cease ‘nuclear sharing’ — a concept proposed last year by French President Emmanuel Macron as part of Europe’s efforts to build ‘strategic autonomy’ from the US.
Furthermore, Russia demands not only that Ukraine never join NATO, but also that Ukraine be barred from participating in the European Union’s collective defence and security policy should it ever become a member of that bloc.
The document goes further than the 2021 proposals, calling for restrictions to be imposed on the Ukrainian army, specifically a reduction in the number of military personnel and armaments within the Armed Forces and security agencies of Ukraine, a halt to all supplies of Western weapons and military equipment to the country, and a ban on the presence of foreign troops and military installations on Ukrainian territory.
In the document, Russia also demands that NATO refrain from carrying out any military activities on the territory of Ukraine, as well as in other states in Eastern Europe, the South Caucasus and Central Asia, which Russia regards as its sphere of influence.
"Putin’s long-term goal remains Moscow’s desire to exert greater influence over neighbouring countries that were once part of the Soviet Union," writes the WP.
