NATO bolstered its presence in the region in the wake of Russia's full-scale invasion of Ukraine.

The Ukraine war won’t end until NATO withdraws troops from the Baltics, a top Russian official has warned.

Sergei Ryabkov, Russia’s deputy foreign minister responsible for U.S. relations, nonproliferation and arms control, made the remarks in an interview with state-run news agency Tass.

Ryabkov’s comments mark a shift in the Kremlin’s position. He suggested that the conflict’s roots lie not only in Ukraine itself but in NATO’s eastward expansion. According to Ryabkov, the withdrawal of NATO forces from the Baltics would help bring an end to the war.