“Not one inch to the East”

“Did NATO promise Russia never to expand to the east? | DW News centers the discussion around Russian President Vladimir Putin’s allegation that Western leaders broke promises not to expand NATO towards Russia’s borders. During the Cold War, Europe was divided into two spheres of influence, with NATO in the west and the Warsaw Pact in the east. In 1990, as Germany was reunifying, the US promised the Soviets that NATO would not expand towards the east if they agreed to German reunification and its inclusion in NATO. However, several Eastern European countries joined NATO after Germany’s unification, leading to Putin’s grievances. Historian Steven Pifer argues that the commitments did not refer to countries like Poland or Lithuania because the Warsaw Pact still existed at the time. However, many experts disagree, pointing out that both the Soviet leadership and the Americans understood that the question of what comes next in Europe was all about the future of Eastern Europe. The speaker in the video emphasizes that the diplomatic discussions between Russia and NATO regarding expansion are significant but overlook the underlying reasons for NATO’s expansion and Russia’s reactions. The U.S. had significant influence and power after the fall of the Soviet Union, and countries like Poland were eager to join NATO and the European Union for democratic rights and economic success. Russia’s opposition to NATO expansion includes geopolitical concerns, domestic political considerations, and emotional attachment to Ukraine under Putin’s leadership. The speaker acknowledges the importance of diplomatic discussions for potential compromise and respecting each other’s red lines. However, the situation around Russia and the international landscape have changed significantly over the years, leading to more countries joining NATO and Putin’s increasingly authoritarian rule. Ultimately, the speaker argues that the focus on diplomatic assurances overlooks the underlying geopolitical context and motivations for NATO’s expansion and Russia’s reactions.