Secret Documents from the 1990s: How Close Was Russia to NATO Membership?
www.spiegel.de
U.S. President Bill Clinton sincerely wanted to bring Russia into the NATO fold. European countries, though, were strictly opposed, particularly Germany. Previously classified documents from the 1990s reveal German Chancellor Helmut Kohl's two-pronged strategy.
  • Cochise@lemmy.eco.brEnglish
    5·
    5日前

    That was the biggest lost opportunity in recent history? The West’s unwillingness of accepting Russia as a friendly country and continuous eastern expansion of NATO made clear for the Russians that the alliance was against them, making Ukraine ascension a threat.

    • SkyezOpen@lemmy.worldEnglish
      38·
      5日前

      continuous eastern expansion

      Huh, I wonder if there were any events that would cause Russia’s neighbors to seek protection?

      No, it must be NATO that are the imperialists!

        • SkyezOpen@lemmy.worldEnglish
          2·
          4日前

          Ok.

          The American-Russian summit in question took place in September 1994. Five years later, Poland, Czechia and Hungary joined the alliance, followed by 11 additional European countries as part of NATO’s eastern expansion. But Russia, the largest country on earth, wasn’t one of them.

          If you want to ignore the 3 separate wars in Georgia in 1991-1993 with Russia support and direct Russian involvement then fine, but the first chechen war in 1994-1996 and the second chechen war 99-09 fall in that timeframe.

    • Calavera@lemmy.zipEnglish
      24·
      5日前

      No, Russia would just try to corrode NATO from within the same way his American puppet is doing. Nothing would be gained by adding PutinLand into NATO

      • Skua@kbin.earth
        20·
        5日前

        To quote former NATO Secretary General George Robertson:

        “Putin said: ‘When are you going to invite us to join Nato?’ And I said: ‘Well, we don’t invite people to join Nato, they apply to join Nato.’ And he said: ‘Well, we’re not standing in line with a lot of countries that don’t matter.’”

        If a country’s position is that other members don’t matter, the whole idea of mutual defence is out the window

        • mgnome@piefed.socialEnglish
          3·
          4日前

          Even before Pooty became president - Baltic states had to fight internal fifth column (also known as pro-Russian parties and lobbies) to set course to NATO.

          Russia “willing to join NATO” then is same as them “wanting peace” now - sand in the eyes and “what if they’re dumb enough to agree?”.

    • zenitsu@sh.itjust.worksEnglish
      13·
      5日前

      The West’s unwillingness of accepting Russia as a friendly country

      Hard to look friendly with all of those neighbourly invasions. But keep drinking that koolaid.

    • Ben Matthews@sopuli.xyzEnglish
      9·
      5日前

      I remember in 1990s the talk about “Europe from Lisbon to Vladivostok”, also having crossed the land border from Russia to China several times during that period, I felt the relative european culture on ‘our’ side. So, yes, there was a lost opportunity, and we could have been more welcoming, but it was not a conspiracy, nor were any specific political groups to blame (as article hints) - rather just the slow muddled consensus-processes of EU and NATO could not cope with any faster expansion, meanwhile russians got impatient and let Putin (KGB) take over, so it went bad.
      If we were to redesign the whole structure, I’d say we should abolish NATO and replace it with a mutual defence organisation for democracies anywhere in the world - including Brazil, Japan, India, etc. if they like, but with no permanent membership. There should be clearly specified democratic criteria including freedom for political opposition, media, NGOs, etc., and when these are no-longer fulfilled, a procedure for suspension of rights that requires a large majority but no vetos. So, currently Hungary might be suspended, and even USA if it continues its current track, while democrats in Russia (or in exile from R) might be encouraged to see a long-term pathway open.
      Such redesign of NATO - conversion from a tribal members club to a defence of democracy - might even be an face-saving way to end the war.

      • Cochise@lemmy.eco.brEnglish
        2·
        4日前

        I agree it was not a conspiracy. Old habits die hard and after forty years of antagonism it is difficult to move away. But Russia was willing to totally reform it’s political and economic system, paid a high price to do so. I cam understand the Russians felling betrayed.