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Akbar Novruz

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Russia has put forward sweeping demands to overhaul Europe's security architecture as part of unofficial negotiations aimed at ending the war in Ukraine. The proposals were also presented to European representatives during talks held in Abu Dhabi, German newspaper Bild has reported.

According to the publication, Moscow is demanding that Finland withdraw from NATO and that the alliance refrain from establishing military bases in Estonia, Latvia and Lithuania.

Russia is also insisting on retaining control over occupied Ukrainian territories and transferring the entire Donbas region to Moscow, including areas of the Donetsk and Luhansk regions currently under Kyiv's control.

Under the proposed plan, Ukraine would be required to adopt neutral status, remain outside military blocs and abandon its ambition to join NATO. However, potential Ukrainian membership in the European Union would not be ruled out.

The proposals also envisage the demilitarisation of the ports of Odesa and Mykolaiv, as well as guarantees of freedom of navigation in the Black Sea and Baltic Sea.

Moscow's demands also extend to Moldova. Russia is reportedly proposing that the country be transformed into a federation involving Gagauzia and the breakaway Transnistrian region. If Moldova joins the European Union, these regions would be granted the right to hold independence referendums.

In return, according to Bild, Moscow is prepared to withdraw nuclear weapons from Belarus, refrain from deploying intermediate-range missiles there and pull Russian troops out of Transnistria.

The reported proposals would amount to a broad restructuring of Europe's security arrangements, extending far beyond the settlement of the war in Ukraine.