# Russia Revives Demand That NATO Retrench to Secure Ukraine Deal

- URL: https://talkfuse.com/story/russia-revives-demand-that-nato-retrench-to-secure-ukraine-deal/
- Published: 2026-11-13T20:05:56+00:00
- Updated: 2026-11-13T21:56:07+00:00
- Original publisher: New York Times (publisher lean: Left)
- Original article: https://www.nytimes.com/2026/11/13/us/politics/russia-demand-nato-ukraine.html
- Topics: Europe, Geopolitics, Politics, World

## Key points

- Russia wants NATO forces withdrawn from its eastern flank.
- The demand echoes Moscow’s 1997-posture proposal from 2021.
- European security is now central to Ukraine peace talks.

## Summary

Russia has revived demands for NATO to pull forces back from its eastern flank as part of negotiations to end the war in Ukraine, putting European security at the centre of the talks. The position, set out in a document circulated to US envoys, suggests President Vladimir Putin has retained his core objectives despite months of US-led diplomacy.

The document, dated 10 November, repeats elements of Russia’s 2021 demands for NATO to return to its 1997 posture, before the alliance expanded eastwards. In talks in Abu Dhabi, Russian officials invoked Cold War-era spheres of influence as a model for reducing conflict; US envoys urged them to focus on the future. The paper is described as Moscow’s opening position, and Russian officials indicated Putin might still be flexible.

---
Summarised by TalkFuse (https://talkfuse.com/). Quote the original publisher for the reporting and link this page for the summary and discussion.