The Claim:
During an interview with US television personality, Tucker Carlson, Russian President Vladimir Putin claimed that a promise existed for NATO not to “expand eastward”.
Narrative Context:
Vladimir Putin and his government regularity deploys this false narrative to present Russia as a victim of NATO and erode public trust and support in the transatlantic collective defence organization. Domestically, Vladimir Putin’s own authority is largely founded on his ability to conjure up foreign threats – whether real or fake. This anti-NATO narrative has been consistently used to support the broader domestic Kremlin information operation targeting the Russian people.
The Facts:
There is no evidence that NATO made any commitment to reject the membership of new applicants after the end of the Cold War. In fact Article 10 of the NATO Founding Treaty ensures an open door policy for any new membership applicant.
The framing of NATO “expanding” is also misleading. The alliance does not force itself upon nations; instead, it considers membership applications freely submitted by sovereign countries exercising their right to choose their security arrangements. It’s mandate is to collectively defend the sovereignty of its member states. Enlarging NATO’s membership is not directed against Russia. It reflects the free will of nations seeking security assurances amidst regional uncertainties.
No Broken Promises:
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- Former Soviet President Mikhail Gorbachev himself has categorically denied any such agreement. In 2014, he stated, “The topic of ‘NATO expansion was not discussed at all, and it wasn’t brought up in those years. I say this with full responsibility.”
- No official documents or transcripts corroborate the existence of such a promise.
- NATO’s founding treaty enshrines an open-door application policy for any nation that wishes to become a member of it.
Active Pursuit of Security:
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- Following the collapse of the Soviet Union and the end of Soviet Russian occupatoin of the Baltic States and Central and Eastern Europe, those nations desired stability and security, and advocated for membership in NATO.
- NATO engaged in strategic and collaborative efforts to ensure a peaceful and conducive environment for potential enlargement.
- Notably, these efforts included building special partnerships with Russia.
This video explains how The Kremlin manipulates facts about NATO membership and enlargement:
