Russia demands Finland leave NATO, Bild reports. Moscow denies it, and Helsinki is outraged.

Source: Bild

The German tabloid Bild reported on November 13 that Russia had demanded Finland’s withdrawal from NATO as part of peace talks on Ukraine. The outlet said Russian representatives put forward the demand at unspecified informal talks on ending the war.

Russia officially denied the report. Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov told reporters: “I’m not aware of this. No, [such a proposal] was not put forward. It certainly wasn’t discussed.”

Finnish Defense Minister Antti Häkkänen called Russia’s demand for a reduced NATO presence in countries bordering Russia a test of U.S. and European resolve during the negotiations.

“Russia wants European NATO countries to set limits on their own operations to serve Russian interests, and such things are not negotiable,” Häkkänen said. “Even suggesting such things is simply outrageous. Russia knows that,” he added.

According to unconfirmed information reported by Bild, Moscow proposed that Russia receive all of Donbas and retain the Ukrainian territories it occupies; that NATO agree not to establish military bases in Estonia, Latvia, and Lithuania; and that Ukraine adopt nonaligned status, abandon its plans to join NATO, and refrain from using the ports of Odesa and Mykolaiv as naval bases.

Russia is also seeking freedom of navigation in the Black and Baltic seas and demanding that Moldova become a federal republic. If Moldova joins the EU, Moscow wants it to allow independence referendums in Transnistria and Gagauzia.

In exchange, Russia is offering to withdraw nuclear weapons from Belarus, refrain from deploying intermediate-range missiles there, and withdraw its troops from Transnistria.

Finland joined NATO in April 2023. It applied to join the alliance shortly after Russia launched its full-scale invasion of Ukraine in February 2022.

Commenting on Finland’s decision to join the alliance, Vladimir Putin said Russia had had no problems with the country before it was “dragged into NATO.” “There were no problems. Now there will be,” Putin said.

Finland has the longest land border with Russia of any NATO country — about 1,300 kilometers (810 miles).

Ukraine peace proposals

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