Russian appetite: NATO Urges to Remove Troops From Romania, Bulgaria

Moscow earlier has called for mandatory guarantees from NATO for this alliance to discontinue enlargement and return to its 1997 borders, writes ReutersI'll follow the Express.

Responding to a question of what this would mean for Bulgaria and Romania, which were members of NATO in 1997, Russia's Foreign Ministry said Russia wants all foreign troops, weapons and other military equipment to be withdrawn from these states.

Last week, NATO held high-level talks with Russian politicians and military officers in Brussels to discuss Moscow's demands and the situation in Ukraine. The meeting did not bring any significant agreements, and tensions continue to be high.

On Friday, US Secretary of State Antony Blinken is expected to meet in Switzerland with Russian counterpart Sergei Lavrov, just over a week after the NATO meeting Russia in Brussels.

The Russian top diplomat said last week that Moscow has spent its patience with the West and that Russia expects written answers from NATO within days for the requirements it has laid out.

On the other hand, the United States and other Western powers have warned Russia that it will face high costs if it attacks Ukraine.