Russia’s attempt to link the withdrawal of NATO forces from the Baltic states with a potential settlement of the conflict is a deliberate strategy aimed at dividing the Alliance and reshaping the European security architecture in the Kremlin’s favour. What is at stake is the security of all NATO member states — especially those that joined the Alliance after 1997 — and the European Union’s response must be unequivocal and resolute: decisions regarding the deployment of NATO forces or bases are not subject to negotiation with the aggressor.
This was stated in a comment to Guildhall by Member of the European Parliament and member of the Special Committee on Foreign Interference, including Disinformation, Tomáš Zdechovský.
«Russia’s attempt to frame the withdrawal of NATO troops from the Baltics as a condition for peace is a deliberate strategy aimed at fracturing the Alliance and redrawing the European security architecture to Moscow’s benefit. This is not about Ukraine alone—this is about undermining the security of all NATO members, especially those that joined after 1997, including the Czech Republic. The EU must remain united in rejecting any such demands. Our response must be one of clarity and firmness: NATO is a defensive alliance, and its deployment decisions are not subject to negotiation with aggressors», — the MEP emphasised.
«The European Parliament plays a crucial role in shaping the political will of the EU. It must continue to stand firm against appeasement narratives and push for policies that reinforce transatlantic unity, support Ukraine’s sovereignty, and protect NATO’s integrity. Through resolutions, funding priorities, and diplomatic pressure, the Parliament must continue to hold both the aggressor and any hesitant EU actors accountable», — the politician summed up.
Earlier, Member of the European Parliament from the Czech Republic (Group of the Greens/European Free Alliance), Markéta Gregorová, condemned Russia’s demands for the withdrawal of NATO troops from Central Europe. According to her, Russia’s stance on reducing NATO’s military presence on the eastern flank, presented as one of the conditions for a peace agreement on Ukraine, is currently being actively discussed within the EU. Such statements should be viewed as potential preparation for the next stage of Russian aggression — this time directed at NATO. Putin is existentially dependent on continuing the war, and the EU must be prepared for this.
It should be noted that Deputy Minister of Foreign Affairs of the Russian Federation Sergey Ryabkov stated that the armed conflict in Ukraine will not end until NATO reduces its military presence in the countries on the Alliance’s eastern flank. According to the Russian diplomat, who oversees relations with the United States, the withdrawal of NATO forces from Eastern Europe could allegedly contribute to the cessation of hostilities. He emphasized that without resolving this fundamental and highly sensitive issue for the Russian Federation, it is impossible to achieve a settlement of the ongoing crisis in the Euro-Atlantic region. He also expressed the view that NATO’s eastward expansion was one of the so-called root causes of the conflict, claiming that its origins lie not only in Ukraine itself but also in the policies of the North Atlantic Alliance.
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