Putin’s flexible red lines, NATO security guarantees and a new European security architecture
Recommendable article in the FAZ on the so-called “red lines” of Putin, which seem to be shifted a bit as needed and seem to be flexible.
The fact that even Brzezinski said in his book „Chessboard“ that Russia sees NATO and EU membership for Ukraine differently from, say, other Eastern European countries, is ignored. The Maidan revolt is also not mentioned. Putin therefore apparently wants contractual security guarantees from NATO, including spheres of influence. Interesting that the FAZ reported on a specific Russian draft treaty for a European security architecture to NATO, which NATO had rejected. It would be important to find out what this actually looked like. The FAZ only reports that the terms of the contract are confused and contradicting themselves. But why the FAZ doesn´t tell.. Also in the article from RP online you can only find out briefly:
“Virtual summit planned: Putin wants Biden to guarantee that NATO will not expand to the east
In view of growing tensions, Kremlin chief Vladimir Putin wants to demand a binding commitment from US President Joe Biden to refrain from expanding NATO to the east. The Russian President wants to make the request in a phone call with Biden, which is planned in the coming days, Putin’s foreign policy advisor Yuri Ushakov told reporters on Friday. Moscow is pressing for a legally binding document which, in addition to rejecting further NATO expansion to the east, excludes the deployment of weapons systems “in the territories of neighboring countries, including Ukraine”, “which would threaten us”. Moscow has long insisted on such agreements, added Ushakov. In view of the increasing tensions, these have become all the more urgent. „It just can’t go on like this.“
Ukraine and the West are increasingly concerned about an increase in Russian troops in the border area with Ukraine and fear of invasion. Moscow denies such intent and has accused Kiev and its Western allies of using such allegations to hide their own aggressive plans. Most recently, Putin warned that any presence of NATO troops and weapons on Ukrainian soil would constitute a “red line”. The US, in turn, threatened Russia with the toughest sanctions to date in the event of an attack on Ukraine. „
Putin and Gazprom advisor Dr. when asked, Alexander Rahr commented on the Russian draft contract:
“Russia has sent many drafts to the West, all of which have been ignored. Now British and American sources are trying to claim that intelligence information had turned the naive Germans and EU Europeans around, they would now know Russia’s aggressiveness „
Global Review asked whether it could see the detailed draft contracts, publish them if necessary and comment on them, insofar as they are not classified state secrets or could disrupt the course of diplomacy.