NextFin News - In a significant escalation of diplomatic pressure, the European Union has drafted a comprehensive list of demands for Russia that extends far beyond the borders of Ukraine. According to Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty, U.S. President Trump’s administration is currently mediating peace negotiations between Kyiv and Moscow, but the EU is now moving to ensure its core security interests are not sidelined. On February 19, 2026, it was revealed that Kaja Kallas, the EU’s High Representative for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy, circulated a discussion paper among member states calling for the total withdrawal of Russian military forces from Belarus, Georgia, Armenia, and the Moldovan breakaway region of Transnistria.
The document, titled "European Core Interests in Ensuring a Comprehensive, Just and Lasting Peace and Continent’s Security," was discussed by EU ambassadors on February 17 and is slated for further debate at the Foreign Affairs Council in Brussels on February 23. The proposal demands that any reduction in Ukrainian troop levels be met with reciprocal Russian drawdowns, while explicitly calling for the removal of nuclear weapons from Belarus. Furthermore, the EU is pressing for the demilitarization of occupied territories, the payment of war reparations to European companies and states, and the democratization of Russian society through free elections and the release of political prisoners.
This "maximalist" approach, as described by European diplomats, represents a strategic pivot by Brussels to regain leverage in a peace process that has largely been dominated by Washington and Abu Dhabi. By broadening the scope of negotiations to include the South Caucasus and Eastern Europe, the EU is attempting to transform a bilateral conflict settlement into a total reset of the post-Soviet security architecture. According to Ukrainian News, the document also emphasizes that no domestic Russian law should take precedence over international treaty obligations, particularly regarding war crimes and the return of deported civilians.
The timing of this demand is critical. As of early 2026, the geopolitical landscape has shifted under the second term of U.S. President Trump, whose administration has pushed for a rapid resolution to the war. European leaders, however, fear that a narrow peace deal focused solely on Ukrainian territory would leave Russia’s "frozen conflict" infrastructure intact in neighboring states. For decades, Moscow has utilized military bases in Armenia and Belarus, along with "peacekeeping" forces in Transnistria, Abkhazia, and South Ossetia, to exert veto power over the Euro-Atlantic aspirations of these nations. Kallas is effectively signaling that a "just peace" in Ukraine is inseparable from the restoration of sovereignty across the entire Eastern Partnership region.
From a financial and economic perspective, the EU’s demands carry significant weight due to the €210 billion in frozen Russian sovereign assets currently held in European jurisdictions. While the U.S. has pushed for outright confiscation, the EU has primarily utilized windfall profits to fund Ukrainian defense. By including reparations for European companies in the new demand list, the EU is creating a legal and financial framework to link the eventual release or transfer of these assets to Russia’s compliance with regional withdrawal. This creates a high-stakes bargaining chip that Moscow cannot easily ignore, given its ongoing need for capital and market access.
The inclusion of Armenia and Georgia in the withdrawal demands highlights the EU’s growing role in the South Caucasus. Following the 2023-2024 shifts in regional power dynamics, Armenia has increasingly sought to diversify its security partners away from the Kremlin. By formally demanding the removal of Russian bases, the EU is providing diplomatic cover for Yerevan to accelerate its pivot toward the West. Similarly, in Georgia, where domestic tensions over Russian influence remain high, the EU’s stance reinforces the legitimacy of the pro-European opposition and places the current government under pressure to align with Brussels’ security requirements.
Looking forward, the success of this maximalist strategy depends on the level of coordination between Brussels and the White House. If U.S. President Trump views these demands as an obstacle to a quick deal, a rift could emerge within the Western alliance. However, if the EU maintains a unified front, these conditions could serve as the baseline for a new "Helsinki Accords" style agreement. The trend suggests that Europe is no longer content with being the "payer" for reconstruction; it intends to be the "shaper" of the security environment. The upcoming Foreign Affairs Council meeting on February 23 will be the litmus test for whether all 27 member states are willing to back a policy that essentially demands the end of the Russian Empire’s military footprint in Europe.
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