RT by @mikenov: No one can accuse the Russians of lacking audacity. Their maximalist demands are entirely ludicrous, but they serve a distinct purpose, which is to signal that: 1. They do not believe they are losing the conflict. 2. Current American leadership is perhaps amenable to some of their positions. 3. They have no intention of ending the war with Ukraine on terms that respect Ukrainian sovereignty and territorial integrity. The Russians are aware of the unserious nature of these demands, and, sadly, we have two highly inexperienced and hardly impartial men, Witkoff and Kushner, who are happily willing to give these demands air. According to the NYT, Russia is demanding that NATO eff

No one can accuse the Russians of lacking audacity. Their maximalist demands are entirely ludicrous, but they serve a distinct purpose, which is to signal that:

1. They do not believe they are losing the conflict.
2. Current American leadership is perhaps amenable to some of their positions.
3. They have no intention of ending the war with Ukraine on terms that respect Ukrainian sovereignty and territorial integrity.

The Russians are aware of the unserious nature of these demands, and, sadly, we have two highly inexperienced and hardly impartial men, Witkoff and Kushner, who are happily willing to give these demands air.

According to the NYT, Russia is demanding that NATO effectively retrench to its 1997 military posture, before the alliance expanded into Central and Eastern Europe. Its demands include:

1. Poland and the Baltic states: NATO’s forward deployments and military infrastructure would face major restrictions.
2. NATO enlargement: Russia demands a prohibition on further expansion.
3. Ukraine: Moscow seeks an end to Western weapons deliveries and restrictions on Ukraine’s participation in European defense arrangements, including the EU’s common defense policy.
4. Nuclear deterrence: Russia demands an end to NATO’s nuclear-sharing arrangements and wants Britain and France to rule out using their nuclear weapons to defend other European countries.
5. European security: Russian negotiators reportedly invoked Cold War spheres of influence as a model for future arrangements.

These demands go considerably beyond Ukraine. They amount to an attempt to fundamentally restructure Europe’s security architecture in Russia’s favor, constrain the sovereignty of European states, and undermine NATO’s ability to defend its members.

The suitable response from the West is precisely the opposite:
1. Increase military, financial, and intelligence support for Ukraine.
2. Demand that Russia withdraw from every square centimeter of internationally recognized Ukrainian territory, including Crimea.
3. Demand the release and repatriation of all Ukrainian prisoners of war and the return of every Ukrainian child unlawfully deported or forcibly transferred to Russia.
4. Demand that Russia pay reparations to Ukraine.

Russia is the aggressor. They attempted to take over a sovereign country and failed in their effort. They are now hoping to take advantage of a weak U.S. president before 2029, when their position is likely to deteriorate significantly under a likely Democratic president.

What makes this particularly troubling is that Russia’s demands are substantially similar to those it issued in December 2021, shortly before its full-scale invasion of Ukraine. Nearly five years later, Moscow is still advancing many of the same strategic objectives.

Europe, Ukraine, please hold the line. Fortunately, Trump’s ability to coerce Europe over the next two years may be limited, as European governments can resist his demands and wait for the next administration.

nytimes.com/2026/11/13/us/po…

— @PoliSciChick84 Nov 14, 2026