DISINFO: NATO promises not to move eastward were not fulfilled

DISINFORMATION CASE DETAILS

DISINFO: NATO promises not to move eastward were not fulfilled

SUMMARY

Since the end of the Cold War, Russia has been repeatedly assured that NATO's jurisdiction and military forces will not move an inch eastward. All these promises were forgotten and not fulfilled. The result is the current deplorable state of European security.

RESPONSE

Recurrent pro-Kremlin disinformation narrative on NATO enlargement.

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.

Read similar cases claiming that NATO forgot promises not to enlarge to the East, that It was agreed that NATO would never accept countries that border Russia, or that The US and Russia had an agreement that NATO wouldn't be enlarged.

Disclaimer

Cases in the EUvsDisinfo database focus on messages in the international information space that are identified as providing a partial, distorted, or false depiction of reality and spread key pro-Kremlin messages. This does not necessarily imply, however, that a given outlet is linked to the Kremlin or editorially pro-Kremlin, or that it has intentionally sought to disinform. EUvsDisinfo publications do not represent an official EU position, as the information and opinions expressed are based on media reporting and analysis of the East Stratcom Task Force.

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