Kremlin Revives 2021 Draft Treaties With US, Nato
Moscow puts December 2021 security proposals back on the table after talks with US envoys in Moscow.
Updated on Nov. 13, 2026 in International Relations
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The Kremlin has put its December 2021 draft treaties with the US and Nato back on the table, proposing guarantees that Ukraine and Georgia would never join Nato and a rollback of Nato military infrastructure from central and eastern Europe. Russian Foreign Policy aide Yuri Ushakov said Moscow is about to add new considerations to its list of demands.
Why it matters
Western leaders dismissed the original 2021 demands as an unacceptable ultimatum, and Russia launched its full-scale invasion of Ukraine two months later. Reviving the proposals while peace talks involving Ukraine, Russia and the US take place in Abu Dhabi signals that Moscow is still seeking a new long-term security architecture in Europe.
The proposals are the December 2021 draft treaties, which the Kremlin has not formally withdrawn and now says it is re-examining. Russia has not yet specified the additional demands Ushakov referenced, and no final decision on European involvement in Ukraine talks had been made as of Friday.
The players
Vladimir Putin
Russia's president, who ordered the full-scale invasion of Ukraine nearly five years ago and has led Moscow's push for a revised European security order.
Yuri Ushakov
Russia's Foreign Policy aide, who said Moscow is about to add new considerations to its list of demands.
Steve Witkoff
US envoy who held talks with Kremlin officials, including Putin, on the Ukraine conflict and security arrangements.
Jared Kushner
US envoy who joined Witkoff in talks with the Kremlin on a potential Ukraine settlement.
Kaja Kallas
The European Union's top diplomat, who described Russia's demands for a new European security architecture as a trap.
The details
After talks with US envoys Steve Witkoff and Jared Kushner, the Kremlin said it seeks a new, long-term architecture of indivisible security and peace while rejecting a comprehensive ceasefire. Ushakov cited Western efforts to inflict a strategic defeat on Russia as the reason for adding new demands to the earlier proposals.
Timeline
December 2021: Russia proposed draft treaties with the US and Nato.
Two months after December 2021: Russia launched its full-scale invasion of Ukraine.
Earlier this week: Komsomolskaya Pravda wrote about Russia's Nato proposals.
This week: Peace talks in Abu Dhabi involved Ukraine, Russia and the US.
Friday: The Kremlin said no final decision on European participation had been taken.
Big Picture
The Kremlin's revival of the December 2021 draft treaties follows the pattern set when Western leaders rejected them as an ultimatum before the February 2022 invasion. Moscow now presents them as the foundation for a new long-term European security order, returning to the same core demands on Nato membership for Ukraine and Georgia and the rollback of Nato infrastructure.
The outcome of these talks could shape whether Nato membership and military deployments in Eastern Europe are negotiated, affecting security policy and defense budgets across the region. Readers following the conflict should watch for the Kremlin's list of additional demands and any decision on European participation in the talks.
The takeaway
The Kremlin's return to its 2021 demands shows that Russia's core security conditions on Nato and Ukraine have not changed, which is important context for judging any peace framework now under discussion.
Further reading
For broader background, explore the International Relations section on Wisevoter.
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