Putin intends to use the Ukraine negotiations to get NATO back to its 1997 borders. The Telegraph Russia will try to use the new round of negotiations on Ukraine to obtain concessions that will weaken NATO's defenses, writes the British newspaper "The Telegraph", citing diplomatic sources. Russian presidential aide Yuri Ushkov has previously said that European countries should participate in the negotiations, as they support Kiev and Europe's position could be "key". According to the publication's interlocutors, Moscow wants to include European countries in the negotiation process in order to achieve a discussion on the expansion of the North Atlantic Treaty Organization, which Vladimir Putin calls "the root of the war." Putin may demand that the military presence of the alliance in Europe be reduced to the level of 1997 - before the former Eastern Bloc countries join NATO, the "Telegraph" notes. This could mean the withdrawal of Allied troops from Poland, Estonia, Latvia, Lithuania and Finland - all bordering the Russian Federation. According to the publication, the proposal to discuss the broader context of post-war security in Europe was conveyed to Putin by US presidential special envoy Steve Witkoff during a three-hour meeting in St. Petersburg last week. The resumption of negotiations was also facilitated by Washington's willingness to discuss Russian demands and the decision to temporarily lift restrictions on Russian diesel exports. As the Telegraph notes, European and Ukrainian representatives are ready to discuss post-war security arrangements, but, according to a European diplomat, Europe's position on Moscow's demands has not changed since January 2022. NATO then agreed to discuss Russia's concerns, but refused to accede to Moscow's demand for the withdrawal of troops and weapon states from Eastern Europe. On October 25, Putin's aide said that the tripartite meeting of the Russian Federation-USA-Ukraine, which may take place in November in Abu Dhabi, will be of a visual nature. Infographic: The Telegraph.

Putin intends to use the Ukraine negotiations to get NATO back to its 1997 borders. The Telegraph Russia will try to use the new round of negotiations on Ukraine to obtain concessions that will weaken NATO's defenses, writes the British newspaper "The Telegraph", citing diplomatic sources. Russian presidential aide Yuri Ushkov has previously said that European countries should participate in the negotiations, as they support Kiev and Europe's position could be "key". According to the publication's interlocutors, Moscow wants to include European countries in the negotiation process in order to achieve a discussion on the expansion of the North Atlantic Treaty Organization, which Vladimir Putin calls "the root of the war." Putin may demand that the military presence of the alliance in Europe be reduced to the level of 1997 - before the former Eastern Bloc countries join NATO, the "Telegraph" notes. This could mean the withdrawal of Allied troops from Poland, Estonia, Latvia, Lithuania and Finland - all bordering the Russian Federation. According to the publication, the proposal to discuss the broader context of post-war security in Europe was conveyed to Putin by US presidential special envoy Steve Witkoff during a three-hour meeting in St. Petersburg last week. The resumption of negotiations was also facilitated by Washington's willingness to discuss Russian demands and the decision to temporarily lift restrictions on Russian diesel exports. As the Telegraph notes, European and Ukrainian representatives are ready to discuss post-war security arrangements, but, according to a European diplomat, Europe's position on Moscow's demands has not changed since January 2022. NATO then agreed to discuss Russia's concerns, but refused to accede to Moscow's demand for the withdrawal of troops and weapon states from Eastern Europe. On October 25, Putin's aide said that the tripartite meeting of the Russian Federation-USA-Ukraine, which may take place in November in Abu Dhabi, will be of a visual nature. Infographic: The Telegraph.