Disinfo: Russia was promised NATO would never expand eastward

Summary

While the US protests that it never gave assurances to Gorbachev that NATO would not expand eastwards, declassified documents prove otherwise.

Disproof

Recurring pro-Kremlin disinformation narrative about NATO enlargement.

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 “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”.

Central and Eastern European countries began seeking NATO membership in the early 1990s. NATO actively sought to create a cooperative environment that was conducive to enlargement while simultaneously building special relations with Russia.

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. NATO enlargement is not directed against Russia.

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  • Reported in: Issue 272
  • DATE OF PUBLICATION: 30/01/2022
  • Article language(s) English
  • Countries and/or Regions discussed in the disinformation: Russia, USSR, US
  • Keywords: NATO, EU/NATO enlargement, Encircling Russia, Mikhail Gorbachev, Anti-Russian
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