German daily Bild, in an article titled “Russia’s brutal demands,” reports that some of Putin’s conditions for ending the war in Ukraine have come to light.
According to the newspaper, Russian representatives have presented a proposal in informal talks that goes beyond Ukraine and would also affect Europe’s security architecture.
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One demand is for Moscow to take control of all of Donbas, including areas currently held by Ukrainian forces. The plan also calls for Ukraine to remain neutral and give up its bid to join NATO, while leaving open the possibility of joining the European Union.
For Estonia, Latvia and Lithuania, the proposal calls for the removal of NATO bases, while Finland, according to the reported proposal, would have to leave the alliance. The Ukrainian ports of Odesa and Mykolaiv would be demilitarized and would not be used as naval bases.
Moldova is also included in the proposal: Russia wants it to become a federal republic incorporating the autonomous region of Gagauzia and Transnistria. If Moldova joins the European Union, those two regions would be able to hold referendums on independence.
After the report appeared in the German media, Moscow denied only the claim about Finland, without rejecting the other points. “I am not aware of this. No, no proposal has been made for Finland or any other country to leave NATO,” presidential spokesman Dmitry Peskov said.
