Russia Reportedly Plans to Press NATO for Troop Cuts in Europe at Next Peace Talks
The Telegraph, citing diplomatic sources, reports that Moscow may use a new round of Ukraine peace negotiations to seek concessions from NATO.
By Amit Ricci ·
Russia may try to use the next round of peace talks over the war in Ukraine to extract concessions from NATO, according to a report by The Telegraph. The British newspaper cited informed sources in diplomatic circles. European Pravda relayed the report.
The Telegraph noted that Yuri Ushakov, an aide to the Russian leader, has previously said Europe should take part in negotiations involving Russian, Ukrainian and American officials. Diplomatic sources quoted by the paper say Moscow's reason for wanting European countries at the table is to use the coming talks to win concessions on NATO expansion.
According to the report, Vladimir Putin is likely to demand that NATO's presence in Europe be scaled back to the level of 1997. The Telegraph says such a demand could, in practice, mean pulling NATO troops out of Poland, Estonia, Latvia, Lithuania and Finland.
The report comes as preparations for a new round of negotiations are under way. On 23 October, President Volodymyr Zelenskyy spoke with US special envoys Steve Witkoff and Jared Kushner. He said team-level trilateral talks between Ukraine, the United States and Russia are planned for the first half of November.
US government sources have indicated that the next meeting between the American, Ukrainian and Russian delegations could be held in either Abu Dhabi or Switzerland. A final venue has not been confirmed in the reporting.
Ushakov, for his part, has said Russia is ready to resume trilateral negotiations with the United States and Ukraine on ending the war after 4 November.
Source: Ukrainska Pravda
