DISINFO: NATO leaders promised USSR not to expand eastwards
SUMMARY
It is well known that politicians have short memories.
On the Western side, for example, we have absolutely no memory of the so-called promise of NATO's non-expansion to the East.
Promises have been made 30 years ago in exchange for loosening the Soviet grip on the Warsaw Pact countries. NATO officials deny it, though numerous pieces of archives prove it.
RESPONSE
Recurrent pro-Kremlin disinformation narrative about NATO enlargement.
RT brings up four documents that quote the words of James Backer, Manfred Woerner, James Major and Mans-Dietrich Genscher and says that many other documents prove such a promise was given by NATO and Western leaders. However, none of these quotes which do express some reservations against immediate NATO enlargement support RT's claims.
This claim has been debunked numerous times. NATO did not promise not to expand into eastern and central Europe back in 1990, which was confirmed by the former president of the Soviet Union Mikhail Gorbachev. Back in 2014, Gorbachev said that “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 that want to join exercising their free will to decide alliance affiliation.
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