Burc Eruygur
16 January 2025•Update: 16 January 2025
ISTANBUL
Russia plans to demand that Ukraine drastically cut back its military ties with NATO in any talks with incoming US President Donald Trump, according to a Bloomberg report Wednesday.
The report, citing sources familiar with Moscow’s preparations, said the Kremlin would require Ukraine to become a neutral state with a limited army.
Moscow’s position reportedly allows for individual NATO members to provide arms to Ukraine through bilateral agreements but with restrictions on their use.
Sources indicated that Russia insists that weapons supplied under such agreements should not be used against Russian forces or to reclaim Ukrainian territory currently under Moscow’s control.
The report also highlighted that Russia’s conditions for talks include retaining control over nearly 20% of Ukrainian territory captured since the war began along with maintaining its hold over Crimea, which was annexed in 2014. Moscow is reportedly open to discussions involving “some territory swaps.”
Last Friday, Trump revealed that a meeting with Russian President Vladimir Putin is in the works. But Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov said Monday that no substantive preparations for such talks have taken place.
The Russia-Ukraine war has resulted in ongoing territorial disputes and strained international relations.
