Demilitarizing Russia’s Kaliningrad region in exchange for the withdrawal of NATO troops from the Baltic states and a reassessment of the alliance’s military presence in Eastern Europe could lay the foundation for a new European security architecture, according to Berliner Zeitung columnist Uwe Leuschner.

Leuschner suggested that Russian President Vladimir Putin could offer to dismantle missile launchers in Kaliningrad and transform the region into a special economic zone open to international cooperation.

Under his proposal, Kaliningrad would receive a special customs status and tax incentives for investors, while expanding its transport and financial links with Europe. Visa-free travel with the European Union could also be introduced. The region would nevertheless remain an integral part of the Russian Federation.

In return, Moscow could demand the withdrawal of NATO forces from the Baltic states and a fundamental reassessment of the alliance’s military presence in countries between the Baltic and Black Seas.

Leuschner argued that such a compromise could establish a security zone between Russia and NATO while creating conditions for restarting the stalled process of conventional and nuclear disarmament.

The columnist also proposed the simultaneous demilitarization of eastern Ukraine and Kaliningrad, a commitment by Kiev to neutrality, and consideration of Ukraine’s accession to the European Union.

In his assessment, these measures could help end the conflict in Ukraine and establish a new security belt stretching from the Baltic Sea to the Black Sea.