Photo: Open source
During the talks with the US in Saudi Arabia, the Russian delegation demanded the withdrawal of NATO troops from Eastern Europe. However, the American side rejected this proposal. This was stated by Romanian Presidential Chief of Staff Christian Diaconescu, the Financial Times reports.
Russia’s demands and the US position
According to Diaconescu, Moscow is seeking strategic concessions from the United States, including a reduction in NATO’s military presence in the region. However, the US delegation has so far rejected such an agreement.
At the same time, the Romanian official expressed concern that the United States might change its position later:
“There are no guarantees that Washington will not eventually agree to this concession to Putin,” Diaconescu said.
Allied attempts to convince the United States
UK Prime Minister Keir Starmer and French President Emmanuel Macron are expected to travel to Washington next week to persuade US President Donald Trump not to make concessions to Moscow.
Concerns of NATO’s eastern allies
The Trump administration’s recent actions, including the denial of NATO membership to Ukraine and promises to normalise relations with Russia, have caused alarm among the Alliance’s Eastern European members. Governments in these countries fear that such decisions could weaken NATO’s defensive posture on its eastern flank.
