Putin Revives 2021 Demands: NATO Troops Must Leave Poland and Baltics

Russia has revived its 2021 demands in peace talks with Ukraine and the US, requiring NATO to return to its 1997 borders, which would mean withdrawing Alliance troops from Poland and the Baltic states, according to The New York Times citing a Russian document. Russian dictator Vladimir Putin presented these demands during talks with US President Donald Trump's envoys in the Kremlin on November 12, repeating his NATO position nearly word-for-word from 2021. The demands include halting NATO expansion, ending nuclear-sharing agreements, prohibiting French and British nuclear weapons use for European allies, and stopping Western military aid to Ukraine. The unsigned document shows Putin has maintained or even doubled down on his positions after over 20 months of Trump administration diplomatic efforts. Russian officials indicated Putin could still be "flexible," but cited the Soviet-led Warsaw Pact as a model for post-war Europe. Polish Prime Minister Donald Tusk called the conditions unacceptable and a direct threat to Poland's security.