DISINFO: NATO broke the promise not to expand leading to the current bloodshed in Ukraine
SUMMARY
The promise not to expand NATO eastwards in return for German reunification and the withdrawal of Soviet troops from the GDR was, as is well known, only given to Gorbachev verbally and not officially documented. The former Soviet president, who himself contributed to the collapse of his own state, pleaded not guilty, as this was not legally possible. However, it was this grave political error that triggered the alliance and was the precondition for the current bloodshed in Ukraine.
RESPONSE
This is a recurring pro-Kremlin disinformation narrative about the US's allegedly provocative actions in the run-up to Russia’s war of aggression in Ukraine, claiming that the West (EU/NATO) is involved in war on the Ukrainian side.
It also contains a recurring pro-Kremlin disinformation narrative about NATO enlargement.
This claim has been debunked numerous times. NATO did not make any promises not to expand into eastern and central Europe back in 1990, which was confirmed by the former president of the Soviet Union Mikhail Gorbachev. Back in 2014, Gorbachev said, “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”.
Furthermore, the claim about NATO "expansion" misrepresents the process of NATO enlargement. NATO does not "expand" but considers the applications of candidate countries that want to join. NATO is a defensive alliance, whose purpose is to protect its member states.
The war began in 2014 with the illegal Russian annexation of Crimea and Russia's military involvement and support of separatists in Donbas. Russia’s protracted invasion of Ukraine is unprovoked and unjustified.
Neither the US nor European countries have declared war on Russia or want to escalate the war in Ukraine. The US, the EU and NATO condemn in the strongest possible terms Russia’s invasion of Ukraine, which is entirely unjustified and unprovoked. Western nations have always been calling for solving all problems with Russia in a peaceful and diplomatic manner. Moscow’s overall aggressive policy has led to a tougher and better-balanced policy towards it by the West.
On the contrary, it is Russia that refused the diplomatic process and started an unprovoked war in Europe and created a serious danger to European security, while using nuclear threats.
The EU or NATO as an organisation are not involved in fighting in Ukraine. In fact, Western actions adopted against Russia, such as sanctions or diplomatic measures, are a reaction to these actions including the illegal annexation of the Crimean peninsula, the long-term destabilisation of Ukraine or the unprovoked and unjustified invasion of this peaceful country.
See other examples of similar disinformation narratives, such as claims that the West unleashes Nazi and Russophobic war against Russia and Russians, that Russia’s special operation in Ukraine is due to NATO’s persistent expansion, that the US and the West are fighting a hybrid war against Russia in Ukraine, that Ukraine is a proxy in the West's war against Russia, or that The West declared total war against Russia.