DISINFO: The USA promised in 1990 not to expand NATO eastwards beyond Germany
SUMMARY
The USA has broken twelve times its promise made in 1990, in the course of the annexation of the GDR to the FRG [...], not to expand NATO eastwards beyond the borders of Germany. This is attested to by both the former Soviet president Gorbachev and the then US Secretary of State James Baker.
RESPONSE
Recurring pro-Kremlin disinformation narrative about NATO enlargement.
The US or NATO did not promise 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.
This false narrative was exposed before in 2016, 2017, 2018, February 2020, June 2020, and August 2020.