Russia is expected to use upcoming peace talks on Ukraine to demand that NATO roll back its military presence in Eastern Europe to 1997 levels, The Telegraph reported, citing diplomatic sources.

Source: The Telegraph via Polish News

In practice, the reported demand would mean withdrawing international forces from Poland, Estonia, Latvia and Lithuania, as well as Finland, which joined the alliance in 2023. The year 1997 predates Poland joining NATO in 1999 and the Baltic states joining in 2004.

1997NATO presence level Russia is reported to demand a return to
5Countries named: Poland, Estonia, Latvia, Lithuania and Finland
NovemberWhen trilateral technical talks are expected in Abu Dhabi

According to the report, President Vladimir Putin calls NATO enlargement the main cause of the war and could compromise on other issues if his key demands are met. Kremlin aide Yuri Ushakov has called the Abu Dhabi meeting a trial round and said he does not expect significant progress.

Western diplomats say such concessions are impossible, AzerNews reported, and European officials cited by The Telegraph said their position toward Russia has not changed since 2022.

Source: AzerNews

Russia made similar demands in late 2021, months before its full-scale invasion of Ukraine, and NATO rejected them in January 2022. This is a reported negotiating position, not an agreed proposal — no NATO government has accepted a pullback, and the Abu Dhabi talks have not yet taken place.