Russia seeks Finland's NATO exit, Baltic military base ban in Ukraine talks: Report

Key Points:

• Russia has proposed extensive changes to Europe's security framework in peace talks on Ukraine, including Finland's exit from NATO and a ban on NATO bases in the Baltic states, aiming to create a "new European security order," according to German newspaper Bild.
• The proposals would allow Russia to keep all currently occupied Ukrainian territories, gain full control of Donbas, require Ukraine to remain nonaligned (excluding NATO membership), and demilitarize key Ukrainian ports, while also affecting Moldova's political structure.
• Russian officials denied demanding Finland's NATO withdrawal, but Moscow seeks to prohibit NATO bases in Estonia, Latvia, and Lithuania, and envisions a federal Moldova with potential independence referendums for Transnistria and Gagauzia.
• U.S. envoy Jared Kushner announced that Russia and Ukraine agreed to include European representatives in upcoming peace talks to address broader security issues alongside territorial disputes, emphasizing the need for credible security guarantees and de-escalation.
• Despite progress, Kushner stressed no final agreements would be made until a comprehensive settlement is reached, with ongoing efforts toward a major prisoner exchange; meanwhile, Russia expressed readiness to discuss a new European security architecture with the U.S. and called on Europe to choose peace over continued conflict.