Moscow has repeatedly opposed the strengthening of the alliance by means of giving membership to Georgia and Ukraine. By doing so the alliance contradicts the guarantees given by Western leaders and Russia reserves the right to respond to the aggressive actions of its foreign partners.
Recurring pro-Kremlin narrative on NATO. Also, consistent with the NATO is encircling Russia narrative. By signing the 1997 Act, Russia committed not to use force or any other method of threat neither against NATO members, nor against any other state. Russia violated the given principles as by the military intervention to Georgia in 2008, as by the illegal annexation of Crimea. NATO made no promises not to expand into eastern and central Europe back in 1990, which was confirmed by the former president of the Soviet Union Mihail Gorbachev. Back in 2014, Gorbachev said: "The topic of ‘NATO expansion’ was not discussed at all, and it wasn’t brought up in those years. I say this with full responsibility." Furthermore, the claim about NATO "expansion" misrepresents the process of NATO enlargement. NATO does not "expand" but considers the applications of candidate countries which want to join.