During U.S.-Russia talks in Saudi Arabia, Moscow allegedly demanded that the U.S. withdraw NATO forces from eastern Europe as a condition for "normalizing relations," the Financial Times (FT) reported on Feb. 20, citing two officials in the region.
The U.S. delegation reportedly rejected the demand, but concerns remain over what concessions President Donald Trump might consider to secure a deal with Russia.
French President Emmanuel Macron and U.K. Prime Minister Keir Starmer are set to visit Washington next week for talks with Trump, where they are expected to urge him not to concede to Russia's demands.
One unnamed eastern European official told the FT that regional governments are increasingly worried about the trajectory of U.S.-Russia talks and whether their concerns will be taken seriously in the White House.
Cristian Diaconescu, the Romanian president's chief of staff, warned that the U.S.-Russia dialogue risks a "new Yalta," referring to the 1945 conference where the Allies divided post-war Europe into spheres of influence.
Russian President Vladimir Putin frequently claims that NATO poses a threat to Russia, accusing the alliance of seeking to expand its borders eastward.
Moscow has repeatedly used Ukraine's possible entry into NATO as one of the justifications for launching its full-scale invasion.
Kyiv argues that joining the alliance would provide it with a vital security guarantee, preventing any future invasion of its territory.
The Saudi Arabia meeting on Feb. 18 marked the highest-level U.S.-Russia talks since the full-scale invasion began in 2022.
No concrete decisions were announced, but Moscow and Washington described the discussions as constructive. Ukraine's exclusion from the talks has sparked concerns in Kyiv and Europe.
Philippe Legrain
