NATO won't allow Russia to dictate Alliance military position

According to Reuters, Moscow submitted a list of requirements Friday to Western countries, which includes withdrawing NATO battalions from Poland and Estonia, Latvia and Lithuania, which were once part of the Soviet Union.

Russia also seeks a legally binding guarantee that NATO will give up any military activity in Eastern Europe and Ukraine, and an effective Russian veto of Ukraine's future NATO membership, which the West has already ruled out.

“We will discuss Russian proposals. But it cannot happen that Russia dictates its position to NATO partners, and this is something we will very clearly stress in next week's talks to the NATO Council,”, Lambrecht told reporters in Rukla during her first visit to German troops abroad.

She added that current tensions should be resolved at a diplomatic level, but also through reliable prevention.

Speaking to Lambrecht, Lithuanian Defence Minister Arvidas Anususkas said NATO should not allow Moscow to divide Europe into sphere of influence.

“We must support Ukraine with all means, which includes sending weapons,” said Anusauscas, without specifying what kind of weapons it meant.

Western nations have threatened severe economic sanctions against Russia if Moscow escalates its military presence on the Ukrainian border, while on the other hand, Moscow claims to respond to its security threats from Kiev's ever closer relationship with NATO.