Zelenskyy: Putin to raise Finland and Sweden in talks

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy believes Vladimir Putin will raise Finland and Sweden in upcoming negotiations, aiming to reduce NATO's presence in Europe and redraw the continent's security map. He also expects Putin to address Hungary and US forces in the Baltic states. Zelenskyy stated the US has informed him that Putin accepts European representatives joining the next negotiation round, though European leaders must decide who speaks for them. US mediators have proposed Ukraine cede occupied territories in exchange for Russia not opposing NATO membership, a question raised for the first time. Reports from tripartite talks in Abu Dhabi indicate Russia maintains its long-standing demands on territory, military cooperation, and NATO withdrawal from Eastern Europe, nearly matching Putin's pre-invasion list from 2022. Unconfirmed reports of demands for Finland to leave NATO have been denied by the Kremlin, with Finland's government declaring the issue non-negotiable.