As the USSR was imploding, an Envoy from Bush I gave a verbal promise that the US would not encourage NATO expansion eastward if Gorbachev allowed the reunification of Germany.
Because this was not formalized into some sort of treaty, it gave the US and its NATO yard niggers the balls to bring more Eastern European nations into the alliance. The noises made about Ukrainian membership is presumably what led Putin to invade.
Remember the whole purpose of NATO was the "defense" of Europe against Soviet expansion west. Now, of course, they claim to be about "exporting democracy," which simply means "expanding the US sphere of influence."
As the USSR was imploding, an Envoy from Bush I gave a verbal promise that the US would not encourage NATO expansion eastward if Gorbachev allowed the reunification of Germany.
Because this was not formalized into some sort of treaty, it gave the US and its NATO yard niggers the balls to bring more Eastern European nations into the alliance. The noises made about Ukrainian membership is presumably what led Putin to invade.
Remember the whole purpose of NATO was the "defense" of Europe against Soviet expansion west. Now, of course, they claim to be about "exporting democracy," which simply means "expanding the US sphere of influence."