Putin’s ultimatum to NATO: ‘Withdraw troops from Poland!’

Russia has prepared two draft agreements concerning “security guarantees” between itself and the United States, as well as between Moscow and NATO members which, if signed, would see the withdrawal of NATO troops from Poland. But what are these documents about, exactly?

Center for Eastern Studies expert Marek Menkiszak warns in his analytical text, Russian Blackmail Towards the West, that with its recent aggression “the Kremlin has made the decision to undertake an attempt to essentially change the status quo in the security and political spheres of Europe, through one-sided activities meant to inflame the international situation, also through military actions.”

On Dec. 17, the Russian Ministry of Foreign Affairs published a statement revealing it had handed the United States two draft agreements concerning security guarantees. The documents had been served on a U.S. delegation led by Assistant U.S. Secretary of State Karen Donfried during a meeting in Moscow two days prior.