Russian negotiators have reportedly demanded that Finland withdraw from NATO and that the alliance refrain from establishing military bases in the Baltic states as part of proposals presented during peace discussions in Abu Dhabi aimed at ending the war in Ukraine.
According to Germany’s Bild newspaper, the informal proposals were shared with European representatives during the talks and go beyond the question of Ukraine’s territorial future, seeking to establish what Moscow describes as a “new European security order.”
The reported demands reflect Russia’s continued objections to NATO’s eastward expansion, with Russian officials maintaining that Western governments had previously promised not to extend the alliance towards the east.
Under the reported proposal, Russia would retain all Ukrainian territory currently under its occupation and take control of the entire Donbas region. Ukraine would also be required to surrender the remaining parts of the Donetsk and Luhansk regions still under Kyiv’s control.
The plan reportedly calls for the demilitarization of the ports of Odesa and Mykolaiv, preventing them from being used as naval bases. Separate agreements would guarantee freedom of navigation in both the Black Sea and the Baltic Sea.
Another key condition would require Ukraine to remain permanently neutral, ruling out NATO membership while leaving open the possibility of joining the European Union.
Moscow is also reportedly seeking a ban on NATO military bases in Estonia, Latvia and Lithuania, while demanding that Finland return to its pre-NATO membership status.
Regarding Moldova, the proposal reportedly envisions the creation of a federal republic comprising the country’s main territory, Transnistria and Gagauzia. If Moldova joins the European Union, Transnistria and Gagauzia would be allowed to hold independence referendums.
In exchange, Russia is reportedly offering to withdraw its nuclear weapons from Belarus and abandon the deployment of intermediate-range missiles on Belarusian territory.
The reported proposals have not been presented as an agreed settlement, and their disclosure highlights the extent of Moscow’s demands, which would have significant implications for NATO, European security and the political future of several countries across the region.
