Европейский союз. Брюссель. Фото: reform.news
The European Union wants to demand the withdrawal of Russian nuclear weapons and troops from Belarus. Such a provision is contained in a document circulated among EU member states by the EU’s High Representative for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy Kaja Kallas.
As RFE/RL writes, the document, titled “Europe’s Core Interests in Ensuring a Comprehensive, Just and Lasting Peace and Security on the Continent,” sets out the EU’s demands on Russia within the framework of negotiations to end the Russia–Ukraine war. At present, these negotiations are taking place without the participation of the EU.
The document states that peace and security are impossible “without the EU at the negotiating table and without taking into account the EU’s core interests.” As RFE/RL notes, it represents a maximalist set of demands on Russia. A European diplomat explained that it is the EU’s response to “the demands of Russian maximalists toward Ukraine.”
“Achieving peace is not only about concessions by Ukraine. We also need to discuss what Russia must do before sending any envoy there,” another official was quoted as saying.
The EU is discussing the creation of a position of special representative for relations with Russia, although no consensus has yet been reached on the candidate or the scope of the mandate. EU foreign ministers are due to discuss the document on February 23 at a meeting in Brussels.
The document includes a demand that Russia limit the size of its armed forces. In addition, the EU believes there should be no recognition of Ukraine’s occupied territories, and that these territories should be demilitarised.
Russia is also required to stop disinformation campaigns, sabotage, cyberattacks, airspace violations and interference in elections in Europe and neighbouring countries.
The document also contains a demand for the withdrawal of nuclear weapons from Belarus. In addition, it proposes banning Russian military presence and the deployment of troops in Belarus, Ukraine, the Republic of Moldova, Georgia and Armenia.
The EU does not envisage a general amnesty for war crimes and intends to demand access for international investigators to sites of alleged war crimes.
According to the EU’s vision, Russia would be required to provide compensation and contribute to Ukraine’s reconstruction for damage caused to European states and European companies, as well as for the environmental damage it has inflicted.
The document also demands the holding of free and fair elections in Russia under international monitoring, the release of political prisoners, and the return of deported civilians and children. The EU wants to require Russia to ensure media freedom inside the country, repeal the “foreign agents” law and laws criminalising dissent and delegitimising independent media and civil society, and to stop historical falsification. In addition, full cooperation is demanded in the investigations into the killings of Alexei Navalny and Boris Nemtsov.