Russia reportedly seeks NATO force cuts in Europe, including withdrawal from Poland, in peace talks

In brief

• Russia may seek to cut NATO's European force levels back to 1997 as a condition of peace talks, according to The Telegraph.
• Such a demand would mean withdrawing NATO forces from Poland, Estonia, Latvia, Lithuania and Finland.
• Trilateral US-Russia-Ukraine talks are planned for early November in Abu Dhabi.
• The demands remain unofficial and have not been confirmed by the Kremlin.

Russia's possible demands

Russian President Vladimir Putin may demand that NATO reduce its presence in Europe to the level of 1997, the year before the alliance's eastward enlargement began to take effect, diplomatic sources told The Telegraph (Росія хоче домогтися скорочення військ НАТО в Європі через мирні переговори, — ЗМІ – Espreso). Such a demand would require the withdrawal of NATO forces from Poland, Estonia, Latvia, Lithuania and Finland (Rosja szykuje żądania wobec NATO. Media: chce wycofania wojsk z Polski – Wirtualna Polska).

Talks in Abu Dhabi

Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov said trilateral negotiations involving delegations from the United States, Russia and Ukraine are scheduled for early November in Abu Dhabi (Żądania Putina wobec Polski? Niepokojące doniesienia „The Telegraph” – RMF24). The meeting is meant to restart peace talks after a long pause. Presidential aide Yuri Ushakov has also called for European countries to join the process.

Analysis of Moscow's aims

According to the sources, Moscow may want Europeans at the table so it can trade concessions on NATO enlargement for other gains („The Telegraph”: Rosja chce wykorzystać rozmowy pokojowe do osłabienia NATO – Rzeczpospolita). Putin has repeatedly named the alliance's expansion as one of the main reasons for the war in Ukraine, so a push to limit NATO's military presence would fit that line.

Status of the reports

The demands are not official. The Telegraph's account rests on unnamed diplomatic sources, and no Kremlin statement has confirmed these conditions.