Finnish Defense Minister Antti Hakkanen said Russia's demands to reduce NATO's presence in countries on the Alliance's eastern flank were not up for discussion, Bloomberg reported.

Axar.az informs, citing Censor.net, that the minister made the remarks to reporters in Helsinki on Friday, November 13.

Hakkanen described the demands to reduce NATO's presence as a test of US and European resolve in the negotiations.

"Russia wants European NATO countries to impose restrictions on their own activities to serve Russian interests, but such things are not up for discussion," he said.

According to him, even proposing a reduction in NATO's presence in Europe is "absolutely outrageous, and Russia knows this."

Commenting on the two-day talks between Russia and Ukraine in Abu Dhabi, the minister said Russia was not serious about negotiations.

"Instead, Russia is broadening its demands — from the war in Ukraine to reshaping the European security architecture to its own advantage," Hakkanen said.

According to him, all Western politicians should recognize that this is part of Russia's long-standing psychological strategy: shifting the framework of negotiations to disadvantage the other parties.

"We must not fall for their bluff," he stressed.

It should be noted that Russia was reported to have demanded that Finland withdraw from NATO and that the Alliance abandon its bases in the Baltic states. However, Russian presidential press secretary Dmitry Peskov later denied the reports, stating that Russia had made no such demands.