Notes from a 1991 meeting prove that the US, UK, France, and Germany assured the Soviet Union NATO would not expand east. It's part of a growing body of evidence that the West broke its promise to Russia.
I do not understand why Putin gets to decide what other sovereign countries get to do.
To my understanding, every country that has joined has done so in line with their own constitutionally valid mechanisms for formation of international relationships. I understand that Putin is uncomfortable with ICBMs at Russia’s border, but why can’t he handle that via arms controls treaties?
Putin doesn’t get to decide what sovereign countries get to do no more than NATO does. The agreements signed in Astana clearly state that countries cannot enhance their security at the expense of security of other countries. NATO expansion directly threatens Russia’s security.
It’s absolutely surreal that people can’t wrap their head around the idea everyone’s collective security should be the top priority.
But NATO is a defensive alliance. It can only be invoked as a defence to third party aggression. The only way that NATO threatens Russian security is if Russia has territorial expansion in mind.
Again, I can see the argument for short range ICBMs, but those can be controlled with an arms treaty. Aside from that, Russia has nothing to worry about unless they’re going to violate other’s sovereignty.
I do not understand why Putin gets to decide what other sovereign countries get to do.
To my understanding, every country that has joined has done so in line with their own constitutionally valid mechanisms for formation of international relationships. I understand that Putin is uncomfortable with ICBMs at Russia’s border, but why can’t he handle that via arms controls treaties?
Putin doesn’t get to decide what sovereign countries get to do no more than NATO does. The agreements signed in Astana clearly state that countries cannot enhance their security at the expense of security of other countries. NATO expansion directly threatens Russia’s security.
It’s absolutely surreal that people can’t wrap their head around the idea everyone’s collective security should be the top priority.
But NATO is a defensive alliance. It can only be invoked as a defence to third party aggression. The only way that NATO threatens Russian security is if Russia has territorial expansion in mind.
Again, I can see the argument for short range ICBMs, but those can be controlled with an arms treaty. Aside from that, Russia has nothing to worry about unless they’re going to violate other’s sovereignty.
NATO is an aggressive and expansionist alliance that’s been involved in non stop wars for the past 30 years.