The New York Times: Russia Repeats 2021-Style Ultimatum to NATO, Demanding Withdrawal to 1997 Deployment Levels
Russia has presented a new set of demands to NATO, largely mirroring the conditions it put forward to the West in December 2021, just before the outbreak of the Russia-Ukraine conflict. According to The New York Times, Russian envoys delivered a document outlining Moscow’s position to U.S. officials during talks in Abu Dhabi.
The report states that Russia is demanding an end to further NATO expansion, the withdrawal of military forces and bases to their 1997 deployment levels, and the termination of all NATO military activities in Ukraine, Eastern Europe, South Caucasus, and Central Asia.
Moscow also insists on a complete halt to Western arms deliveries to Ukraine; the dissolution of mechanisms allowing NATO member states to host U.S. nuclear weapons; and the abolition of France and the United Kingdom’s arrangements to extend nuclear guarantees to other European countries.
Another condition relates to Ukraine’s potential EU membership: Russia demands that Ukraine be excluded from the European Union’s common defense policy. The New York Times notes that these proposals were included in an informal document dated November 10 and represent Russia’s initial negotiating stance, not an agreement already reached.
Original: toutiao.com/article/1881815050912778/
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