Stoltenberg held secret talks with Russia and wanted to create a "buffer zone" in the Baltic states
In his memoirs, former NATO Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg revealed details of behind-the-scenes negotiations with Russia on the eve of the full-scale war. In 2021, he was prepared to discuss the possibility of withdrawing Alliance troops from Eastern Europe and creating a so-called “buffer zone,” which could include the Baltic states.
This is reported by the Latvian publication Baltic Sentinel.
The article notes that Stoltenberg engaged in dialogue with the Kremlin without informing the most vulnerable allies. Specifically, in the fall of 2021, he held a meeting with Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov, during which he proposed discussing the idea of creating a “buffer zone” promoted by Moscow.
Poland and the Baltic states were categorically opposed to any concessions to Russia. However, as noted, the Secretary General was prepared to consider a return to the 1997 security architecture, which would effectively mean a significant weakening of NATO’s eastern flank.
Despite the Alliance’s willingness to compromise, Russia rejected the proposed option. Moscow, as noted, was not interested in partial agreements and sought complete control over the region.
In his memoirs, Stoltenberg also attributes his approach to dialogue with Russia to the influence of his father, Thorvald Stoltenberg, who advocated for communication with Moscow even during the Cold War. The former secretary general himself emphasizes that he tried to maintain dialogue with Russia even after the annexation of Crimea in 2014.
A separate section of the memoirs is devoted to Donald Trump’s role in relations with NATO. According to Stoltenberg, the risk of the U.S. withdrawing from the Alliance was very real—the American president’s advisors seriously considered this scenario, which could have threatened the organization’s very existence.
At the same time, a paradoxical situation arose: it was during Trump’s presidency that the U.S. military presence in Europe grew, and NATO member states began to increase their defense spending more actively.
Earlier, Polish Prime Minister Donald Tusk stated that a number of current political processes could play into the Kremlin’s hands and called them “Putin’s dream plan.”
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Recall that the EU mayreconsider its approach to Orbán in the event of his election victory — Politico.
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