Russia wants to exclude Poland and the Baltics from NATO: another absurd demand from Moscow

Russia has put forward another absurd condition for ending the war in Ukraine, demanding that NATO return to its 1997 borders. This would involve the exclusion of the Baltic countries and Poland from the Alliance, even though such a mechanism does not exist.

Former Security Service of Ukraine employee Ivan Stupak explained in a comment to 24 Kanal that the Kremlin is using a tactic of excessive demands: ask for the impossible – get the minimum. He also called these demands "an incredible nonsense," noting that excluding countries from NATO requires a unanimous decision by the Alliance, which is impossible.

"Why not go back to the 1949 borders right away? If we’re playing this populism and idiocy, how is it supposed to happen? For example, the Baltic countries joined NATO in 2004 with a unanimous vote. So now, does NATO have to vote to expel Lithuania, Latvia, and Estonia from the Alliance? It’s unbelievable nonsense," Stupak said.

Russian propagandist Margarita Simonyan, who has close ties with the Kremlin, noted on her social media that Russia no longer considers the possibility of capturing Kyiv, Odesa, or Kharkiv. According to Stupak, this indicates that even within Russia, they understand the unrealistic nature of their ambitions.

This tactic by the Kremlin demonstrates their readiness to make absurd demands in order to exert pressure in negotiations, but it also shows the limited capabilities they have on the battlefield.

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