The Ukraine war won’t end until NATO withdraws troops from the Baltics, a top Russian official has warned.

Sergei Ryabkov, Russia’s deputy foreign minister responsible for U.S. relations, nonproliferation and arms control, made the remarks in an interview with state-run news agency Tass.

Ryabkov’s comments mark a shift in the Kremlin’s position. He suggested that the conflict’s roots lie not only in Ukraine itself but in NATO’s eastward expansion. According to Ryabkov, the withdrawal of NATO forces from the Baltics would help bring an end to the war.

  • @Dasus@lemmy.world
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    97 days ago

    Ah yes “NATO pls if you’ll just surrender and go away, we pinky-promise not be bad anymore”

    With Operation Spider’s Web, (and Russia trying to launch massive counterattacks against civilian populations and still only managing to kill only two people) is showing that Russia might not have as strong of a position as they think they do.

  • BombOmOm
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    1339 days ago

    The Baltics are part of NATO because they didn’t want to be part of the failed Soviet Union or the modern Russian Federation. And with Russia invading Ukraine, twice now, it isn’t very hard to see why.

    Get fucked Russia.

    • GhostArmorX
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      77 days ago

      The Baltics weren’t voluntarily part of Soviet Union. They were occupied. So after they regained independence, obviously they joined NATO to get security from Russia occupying again.

      • furry toaster
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        9 days ago

        unlike ukraine the baltics are in the EU, they have choosen to, taking this to the baltics is escalating it further, NATO cant withdraw from baltics, the baltics are part of EU thus NATO

        • warm
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          259 days ago

          NATO has nothing to do with being in the European Union, not every E.U. country is in NATO and vice versa. NATO is an alliance, which you must apply for, separately from the E.U.

          • @SMillerNL@lemmy.world
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            49 days ago

            Given the EU has a mutual defence agreement that I understood to be stronger than NATOs. An attack on the Baltic states would be an attack on NATO. Even if they were not in it.

            • warm
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              99 days ago

              Yes, it’s the Treaty of Lisbon. The difference is still important to make, not only for educational purposes, but because it does affect which countries would be required to aid depending on who is attacked. Not to mention USA/Canada who are very much a part of NATO and not the E.U.

  • TryingSomethingNew
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    579 days ago

    NATO should say they promise not to once Russia hands over its nuclear weapons. You know, like Ukraine did. Use the exact same paperwork that Ukraine signed in 1994 (NPT), with the word Ukraine taped over so it’s super obvious.

  • @wewbull@feddit.uk
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    408 days ago

    NATO can’t pull out of the baltics. NATO isn’t in the baltics. The baltics are NATO.

    “Moscow should pull out of Russia” is a equally nonsensical statement.

  • @gravitas_deficiency@sh.itjust.works
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    299 days ago

    Lmfao they’re slipping. It’s really telling. Putin is losing control. His conventional forces must be in pretty dire straits.

    Maybe losing another meaningful fraction of his nuclear forces will help him feel better.

  • @Robotsandstuff@lemmy.world
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    259 days ago

    Shut the fuck up you fucking cunt nato can do what ever the fuck it wants now you got into a cock measuring contest and we all worked out you where wearing a strap on.

  • @tal@lemmy.today
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    9 days ago

    Might as well demand demilitarization of Alaska, Hawaii, and California too, since Russia ran parts of those at one point as well. I mean, heck, why settle for just the Baltics?

    • @k0e3@lemmy.ca
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      17 days ago

      I had no idea about Hawai’i and California. That’s super interesting.

  • matlag
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    178 days ago

    The only good answer to that:

    “No, that won’t happen. So I guess we’re in this for another year. Here’s the list of wapons that we will deliver to Ukraine, as well as spare parts and ammo that go with them. And here’s the list of new sanctions we’ll apply against Russia. See you next year, except if you have a change of heart”.

    But that’s not going to happen…

    • LadyButterflyshe/her
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      68 days ago

      Yep. He’s setting a demand that he knows will NEVER be fulfilled so he can justify continuing. So he needs to feel the consequences