NYT learned about disagreements in NATO over relations with Russia

NATO countries are divided on their future policy towards Russia amid the conflict in Ukraine, Poland and the Baltic countries are calling for increased pressure, writes The New York Times, citing two senior Western officials.

Warsaw and the Baltic states are pushing for a complete severance of relations with Moscow and are advocating measures that would “bring Russia to its knees.” Anything Russia can present as a victory, they fear, will do significant damage to Europe's security, they say.

The interlocutors of the newspaper indicate that Germany, France and Turkey intend to maintain contacts with the Russian authorities, regardless of what is happening.

Earlier, French President Emmanuel Macron's contacts with Russian counterpart Vladimir Putin drew criticism from Polish Prime Minister Mateusz Morawiecki. He said that the negotiations between Putin and Macron did not help prevent hostilities in Ukraine and demanded "clear and decisive" sanctions against Moscow. Macron, in response, said that he did not deny the existence of constant contacts with the President of Russia, and assured that from the very beginning of his presidential term in 2017 he had been talking with him "without naivety."