Presidential aide: In Riyadh, Russia Asked U.S. for NATO to Return to 1997 Lines

Presidential advisor for defense and national security and head of the presidential chancellery, Cristian Diaconescu, declared on Wednesday to Antena 3 CNN that the Russian delegation asked the American one, during the talks in Riyadh, for a redistribution of spheres of influence in Europe and the withdrawal of the US from Eastern Europe, including Romania.

“It’s a dramatic moment, I don’t want to generate any emotion, but the issue is extremely complicated. First of all, the meeting between the Russian and American representatives – what did Russia want? Two aspects – to know if it will gain an ascendancy to make the US an ally for Yalta-type projects. The second aspect, in the conditions in which it would not be achieved that way, to convince the American side of divisions in the transatlantic relationship. The situation can change from one hour to the next or from day to day. They failed to convince the Americans. They wanted to go to this meeting to send a signal, so that Russia would enter into a logic of readiness regarding the crisis. They approached pragmatically and transactionally in the sense of assuming responsibilities, shared between Europeans and Americans regarding the American crisis”, said Cristian Diaconescu.

“Their expectations are that, at some point, the US would determine within NATO the European partners to withdraw NATO’s security guarantees on the 1997 alignment. So that we, those who joined after 1997, would no longer benefit from these guarantees, and that, regarding the situation in these areas, we would enter into a negotiating context in which we would not be involved, as in Yalta, and which would obviously lead to the recognition of a zone of influence of Russia. This is not my interpretation, this is their statement”, added the presidential advisor.

Diaconescu says Romania has been informed about these discussions. “We were informed, it is relevant to Romania. We received them, we did not ask for them. The United States has refused, at this moment, but we have no guarantees,” said the head of the presidential chancellery, Cristian Diaconescu.

Cristian Diaconescu came up with new clarifications on Thursday on Digi24, explaining that the respective demands are part of an “extremely complicated policy that the Russian Federation announced since 2022, when it was trying to determine Moscow to withdraw from Ukraine and through negotiation, states from the North Atlantic Alliance in the European Union were taking the appropriate steps”.

“An extremely complicated policy that the Russian Federation announced since 2022, when it was trying to determine Moscow to withdraw from Ukraine and through negotiation, states from the North Atlantic Alliance in the European Union were taking the appropriate steps. As was known from that period, the explicit request of the Russian Federation was the withdrawal of security guarantees, on the 1997 alignment. It is an interesting matter, I see a certain type of emotion. I said exactly the same thing to you, to the television station and elsewhere, but I am glad that now there is a somewhat more serious concern and public attention”, explained Cristian Diaconescu, when asked about the statements he made.

Asked by Digi24 to elaborate on his statements, implicitly to answer whether Romania has a guarantee that the United States will maintain its position, Cristian Diaconescu replied:

“Regarding what is being requested, first of all, it has not been on the negotiating table at this time. Secondly, regarding guarantees, be sure that we are looking very carefully at this subject and our steps are very serious and a priority in relation to the rejection of such claims”. He also stressed that “the interesting and important argument, however, is the fact that the Western world, but especially the United States, have rejected such an intention, such a request out of the blue”.

“Everything related to the strategic partner package, both with the United States and with European partners, there are, obviously, a series of steps, but categorically there cannot be the question of a surrender under any form”, stressed Cristian Diaconescu.

What does he say about the hypothesis of the withdrawal of American troops from Romania? Asked if there is a need for a CSAT meeting to establish a course of action, since there have been discussions in recent times that are becoming more and more real in the US-Russia negotiations, Diaconescu refused to give a clear answer. “We are making this decision within the presidential institution, according to the law on the organization of the CSAT.”

Asked if American troops could be withdrawn from our country, which would mean an extra point for Russia, the presidential advisor replied: “All these topics are on the table. When there are institutionally assumed decisions and not opinions, regardless of whose perspective, then you will certainly be informed.” Diaconescu also believes that “the United States will not deviate from the projects within the strategic partnership.”