Kremlin Denies Reports That Russia Demands Finland's Withdrawal from NATO - UPDATED

During negotiations, Russia has not put forward any demands regarding the withdrawal of any countries from NATO.

This was stated by presidential press secretary Dmitry Peskov, RBC reports.

"No, that was definitely not discussed," he replied to a corresponding question.

According to Bild, Russian representatives at unofficial talks on resolving the conflict in Ukraine demanded Finland's withdrawal from NATO and the alliance's abandonment of bases in the Baltic states. The publication claims that these conditions were also conveyed to European representatives in Abu Dhabi.

14:45

Russia is demanding that Finland withdraw from NATO and that the alliance refrain from deploying military bases in the Baltic states.

This was reported by the German tabloid Bild. The publication notes that these tough conditions, concerning a "new European security order," were put forward by Russian representatives during informal talks on ending the war.

Moscow proposes to retain the liberated territories of Ukraine and to obtain all of Donbas, including the parts of the Donetsk and Luhansk regions controlled by Kyiv. In addition, the Russian plan provides for a refusal to deploy NATO military bases in Estonia, Latvia, and Lithuania, as well as Finland's withdrawal from the alliance, Bild claims.

The author of the article adds that Ukraine should receive non-bloc status and renounce joining NATO, although its membership in the European Union is not ruled out.

As the newspaper writes, it is proposed that the ports of Odesa and Mykolaiv be demilitarized so that Ukraine cannot use them as naval bases. It is also envisaged that agreements will be reached on freedom of navigation in the Black and Baltic seas.

Moscow's demands also affect Moldova. Russia proposes transforming it into a federal republic comprising Moldova itself, as well as the autonomous region of Gagauzia and the unrecognized Transnistria, the publication says.

It is emphasized that if the country joins the EU, Transnistria and Gagauzia should be given the opportunity to hold referendums on independence.

In exchange, as the outlet claims, the Russian side proposes withdrawing nuclear weapons from Belarus and refraining from deploying intermediate-range missiles there.

In addition, Moscow is ready to withdraw troops from Transnistria, the outlet concludes.