Did NATO Promise Not to Enlarge? Gorbachev Says “No”

[glockman]

Steven Pifer Thursday, November 6, 2014

Former Soviet President Gorbachev’s View​

We now have a very authoritative voice from Moscow confirming this understanding. Russia behind the Headlines has published an interview with Gorbachev, who was Soviet president during the discussions and treaty negotiations concerning German reunification. The interviewer asked why Gorbachev did not “insist that the promises made to you [Gorbachev]—particularly U.S. Secretary of State James Baker’s promise that NATO would not expand into the East—be legally encoded?” Gorbachev replied: “The topic of ‘NATO expansion’ was not discussed at all, and it wasn’t brought up in those years. … Another issue we brought up was discussed: making sure that NATO’s military structures would not advance and that additional armed forces would not be deployed on the territory of the then-GDR after German reunification. Baker’s statement was made in that context… Everything that could have been and needed to be done to solidify that political obligation was done. And fulfilled.”

Gorbachev continued that “The agreement on a final settlement with Germany said that no new military structures would be created in the eastern part of the country; no additional troops would be deployed; no weapons of mass destruction would be placed there. It has been obeyed all these years.” To be sure, the former Soviet president criticized NATO enlargement and called it a violation of the spirit of the assurances given Moscow in 1990, but he made clear there was no promise regarding broader enlargement.

https://www.brookings.edu/blog/up-f...ato-promise-not-to-enlarge-gorbachev-says-no/

 

[syed putra]

In any case, russia was a spent force. Their only export, military equipment, was in shambles.
You cannot get spares due to turmoil in russia.and quality was kaputs due to low morale, corruption and mismanagement.
There was no need to expand NATO.
Unfortunately russians voted for a drunkard yeltsin which made matters worse, his privatisation of state companies created oligarchs as they bought these cheaply and be ame billionaires.
If they had retained gorbachev, it would be a diffefent europe and russia today.
All missiles eould be directed at china.

 

[red amoeba]

This war will drive Russia closer to n Korea. With only its nuclear missels as shield. Economy will be gone and dependent on China.

 

[Leongsam]

Putin is the best!

 

[zhihau]

Putin is the best!

He has the Big Russian Soul!

 

[Leckmichamarsch]

WAT IS PURPOSE OF ENLARGING N EXCLUDE RUSSIA?

 

[syed putra]

This war will drive Russia closer to n Korea. With only its nuclear missels as shield. Economy will be gone and dependent on China.

Europe depends on russia and ukraine not just for lng, but food produce, such as wheat, sunflower oil, barley, ......lets see how long european voters will stand up for ukraine when these prices escalate. Europe will sue for peace on putin's terms.

 

[Sideswipe]

Europe depends on russia and ukraine not just for lng, but food produce, such as wheat, sunflower oil, barley, ......lets see how long european voters will stand up for ukraine when these prices escalate. Europe will sue for peace on putin's terms.

Ukraine will not join NATO. the 3 provinces issue. Ukraine will give them up to make peace with Russia ? Putin will not settle for anything less.