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this post was submitted on 30 May 2024
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According to Gorbachev himself, the US made no such promise. According to that interview, the commonly cited quote from Secretary of State James Baker, "NATO will not move one inch further east," is taken wildly out of context. It was made during talks over the reunification of Germany:
He also said this, without further elaboration:
Here is where I think Gorbachev's interview comes in for some legit criticism. I honest find this a bit perplexing. Putting severe limitations on NATO membership, knowing that many countries would want to join, was a big ask. The proper thing is to write that out in legal language, translated into Russian and English, and mutually agreed upon. This feels like the geopolitical version of empty "thoughts and prayers."