Nausėda's Advisor Denies Information About Creation of "Buffer Zone" in Baltic States
After information appeared that former NATO Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg in 2021 was allegedly ready to discuss with Russia the withdrawal of Alliance forces from Eastern Europe and the creation of a "buffer zone" that would cover the Baltic states, Lithuanian President's chief advisor Deividas Matulionis called it disinformation, writes Delfi.lt.
Jens Stoltenberg. Photo: Andreea Alexandru / AP
"I can immediately say that this is another piece of disinformation (...) At the end of 2021, the Russians indeed presented these so-called ultimatums to both NATO and the United States, where they very clearly outlined all their demands. These ultimatums were truly crude. One aspect of them was precisely the withdrawal of all allied forces from new NATO members who joined after 1997. This would mean that it would affect 12 states," Matulionis told LRT radio station on Friday.
"This was Russia's ultimatum. It was presented to us, we saw it. There were no discussions on this matter (...). It was categorically rejected," he emphasized.
The Latvian publication Baltic Sentinel reportedly writes that in 2021, former NATO Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg was ready to discuss with Russia the withdrawal of NATO forces from Eastern Europe and the creation of a "buffer zone" that would cover the Baltic states.
An overview of Stoltenberg's memoirs, published in the edition, states that in the autumn of 2021, the then head of NATO met with Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov to discuss the idea of such a buffer zone, without informing the most vulnerable allies. Although Poland and the Baltic states categorically opposed any concessions to Russia, according to Baltic Sentinel, the then NATO Secretary General admitted that he ignored their concerns and was ready to return the deployment of NATO forces to their 1997 positions.
The publication cites brief conversations with unnamed Estonian diplomats who allegedly confirm that Stoltenberg tried to raise this idea behind the backs of NATO allies in the Baltic Sea region.
Baltic Sentinel claims that the Kremlin, which sought full control over the region, ultimately rejected such a plan. In his memoirs, Stoltenberg writes that his views on relations with Russia were influenced by his father, Thorvald, Norway's former foreign minister, who even during the Cold War promoted dialogue with Moscow.
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