On December 3, senior diplomatic sources from Belgium revealed that there are deep concerns about NATO's role in the current geopolitical front. Amid the growing diplomatic efforts between the US and Russia, many European allies feel they are at risk of being left on the sidelines.
According to European officials, to protect collective interests, the allies have drawn up three core red lines and required Washington to ensure they are respected in all negotiation scenarios.
The first is the sensitive issue related to Ukraine's path to joining the alliance, a topic that has always been hotly contested with Russia. Second is the regulations on the deployment of troops and strategic equipment in the territory of allies, a factor that directly affects the bloc's common defense capabilities. Third is strict compliance with the principles of international law.
Finnish Foreign Minister Elina Valtonen confirmed that the bloc is actively working to agree on these security limits with its partners, in order to create a unified front.
In addition to specific requirements, the European diplomatic community is also having a headache with a strategic question about the future dialogue mechanism. A diplomat compared this to a "elephant in the room" - a seemingly difficult problem that everyone sees but has not yet solved.
The question is: If a peace deal is reached, what mechanism will be used for NATO to dialogue with Russia on common interests? Is the Russia- NATO Council likely to be revived, or will all European countries be forced to rely entirely on the intermediary role of the United States?
This lack of clarity is creating a great sense of insecurity about the European security structure after the conflict, as countries worry about losing the right to self-determination for their own security fates.
These concerns were raised strongly right after the high-level meeting at the Kremlin between Russian President Vladimir Putin and the US special mission, including the Special Envoy and the son-in-law of President Donald Trump.
The in-depth discussion of key proposals in the peace plan without the direct presence of European allies has increased the urgent need to reaffirm the position and voice of the remaining NATO members in this historic process.
