Russia has demanded that Finland withdraw from NATO and that alliance military bases be banned in the Baltic states during informal talks aimed at ending the war in Ukraine. The proposals were also presented to European representatives at talks in Abu Dhabi.
This was reported by Bild, citing information about a Russian plan for a “new European security order”.
Moscow proposes retaining control over the occupied territories of Ukraine and gaining all of Donbas, including parts of the Donetsk and Luhansk regions currently controlled by Kyiv.
In addition, Ukraine would be required to adopt non-aligned status and renounce NATO membership, although the possibility of joining the European Union would not be ruled out.
The Russian plan also calls for the demilitarization of the ports of Odesa and Mykolaiv to prevent Ukraine from using them as naval bases. Separate agreements on freedom of navigation in the Black and Baltic Seas are also proposed.
Moscow’s demands also concern Moldova. Russia proposes transforming it into a federal republic comprising Moldova itself, the autonomous region of Gagauzia and the unrecognized region of Transnistria. If the country joins the EU, Transnistria and Gagauzia would be given the opportunity to hold referendums on independence.
In return, the Russian side offers to withdraw nuclear weapons from Belarus and refrain from deploying intermediate-range missiles there. Moscow also says it is ready to withdraw its troops from Transnistria.
This is just one of the proposals being discussed in informal negotiating circles. Several groups of mediators are operating in parallel, including some with military ties, and are competing with one another. It remains unclear whether Vladimir Putin has endorsed this particular plan.
