Russia not to end Ukraine war until NATO pulls from Baltic States - MFA

This was stated by Russian Deputy Foreign Minister Sergei Ryabkov, who spoke in an interview with the state-run news agency TASS, Ukrinform reports citing Newsweek.

According to the top Russian diplomat, responsible for relations with the United States, the withdrawal of NATO troops from the Baltic States would help end the war.

"The American side requires practical steps aimed at eliminating the root causes of the fundamental contradictions between us in the area of security. Among these causes, NATO expansion is in the foreground. Without resolving this fundamental and most acute problem for us, it is simply impossible to resolve the current conflict in the Euro-Atlantic region," Ryabkov said.

Ryabkov suggested that NATO’s eastward expansion was among the main causes of the war, and that the roots of the conflict lie not only in Ukraine itself, but also in NATO.

The comments by the top Russian official mark a shift in the Kremlin’s position, the publication writes.

As Ukrinform reported earlier, Russian officials appear to be putting forward conditions for withdrawing from international arms control treaties, likely in preparation for a potential future contingency with NATO.