Russia Demands NATO Withdraw From Poland and Baltics in Ukraine Talks

Russia has revived pre-invasion demands in talks with President Trump's envoys, including a call for NATO to withdraw forces from Poland and the Baltics to 1997 positions, as part of a potential Ukraine deal. Trump is scheduled to meet Putin in Shenzhen next week. The demands, detailed in a paper dated Nov. 10 and circulated at this week's Abu Dhabi talks, mark the first in-person meeting of American, Russian, and Ukrainian officials since February. Moscow cited the Cold War-era Warsaw Pact as a model for reducing conflict risk, while U.S. envoys Jared Kushner and Steve Witkoff urged Russia to focus on the future and offered economic incentives. The document reflects Putin's public stance on "root causes" of the war, showing little movement after over 20 months of diplomacy. Officials noted the paper is Russia's opening position, with hints of potential flexibility, ahead of the second Trump-Putin meeting during Trump's second term.