>”We have made it clear that we will not extend NATO beyond the Elbe,” German diplomat Juergen Chrobog wrote of a March 1991 meeting of the United States, Britain, France, and Germany. This document confirms the Russian view on eastward expansion.
A note from the British National Archives that has only now surfaced supports the Russian claim that the West violated pledges made in 1990 with NATO’s eastward expansion. This is reported by “Der Spiegel.”
U.S. political scientist Joshua Shifrinson found the formerly classified document. It deals with a March 6, 1991, meeting in Bonn of the political directors of the foreign ministries of the U.S., Britain, France and Germany. The topic was the security of Poland and other Eastern European states. A Political Director heads the Political Division in the State Department and is considered the closest advisor to the Secretary of State.
Bonn’s representative, Jürgen Chrobog, stated at the time, according to the memo, “We made it clear in the Two Plus Four negotiations that we would not extend NATO beyond the Elbe. We therefore cannot offer NATO membership to Poland and the others.”
The British, French and Americans also rejected NATO membership for the Eastern Europeans. U.S. Representative Raymond Seitz said, “We have made it clear to the Soviet Union – at Two Plus Four as well as other talks – that we will take no advantage of Soviet troop withdrawals from Eastern Europe.” Two years later, the Americans corrected their policy.
Fun Fact: Normally WELT is quite critical of russia and pro-western, so this means something.
Yeah it’s a pity, that the western states tried to decide for eastern Europe. What they can do and what not.
Luckily poles, the Baltics, ukraine, Albanians and all between are today strong enough and emancipated, that the western states and Russia cannot dictate their politics anymore.
M.G.: 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. Not a singe Eastern European country raised the issue, not even after the Warsaw Pact ceased to exist in 1991. Western leaders didn’t bring it up, either. Another issue we brought up was discussed: making sure that NATO’s military structures would not advance and that additional armed forces from the alliance would not be deployed on the territory of the then-GDR after German reunification. Baker’s statement, mentioned in your question, was made in that context. Kohl and [German Vice Chancellor Hans-Dietrich] Genscher talked about it.”
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>”We have made it clear that we will not extend NATO beyond the Elbe,” German diplomat Juergen Chrobog wrote of a March 1991 meeting of the United States, Britain, France, and Germany. This document confirms the Russian view on eastward expansion.
A note from the British National Archives that has only now surfaced supports the Russian claim that the West violated pledges made in 1990 with NATO’s eastward expansion. This is reported by “Der Spiegel.”
U.S. political scientist Joshua Shifrinson found the formerly classified document. It deals with a March 6, 1991, meeting in Bonn of the political directors of the foreign ministries of the U.S., Britain, France and Germany. The topic was the security of Poland and other Eastern European states. A Political Director heads the Political Division in the State Department and is considered the closest advisor to the Secretary of State.
Bonn’s representative, Jürgen Chrobog, stated at the time, according to the memo, “We made it clear in the Two Plus Four negotiations that we would not extend NATO beyond the Elbe. We therefore cannot offer NATO membership to Poland and the others.”
The British, French and Americans also rejected NATO membership for the Eastern Europeans. U.S. Representative Raymond Seitz said, “We have made it clear to the Soviet Union – at Two Plus Four as well as other talks – that we will take no advantage of Soviet troop withdrawals from Eastern Europe.” Two years later, the Americans corrected their policy.
Fun Fact: Normally WELT is quite critical of russia and pro-western, so this means something.
Yeah it’s a pity, that the western states tried to decide for eastern Europe. What they can do and what not.
Luckily poles, the Baltics, ukraine, Albanians and all between are today strong enough and emancipated, that the western states and Russia cannot dictate their politics anymore.
[https://www.rbth.com/international/2014/10/16/mikhail_gorbachev_i_am_against_all_walls_40673.html](https://www.rbth.com/international/2014/10/16/mikhail_gorbachev_i_am_against_all_walls_40673.html)
M.G.: 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. Not a singe Eastern European country raised the issue, not even after the Warsaw Pact ceased to exist in 1991. Western leaders didn’t bring it up, either. Another issue we brought up was discussed: making sure that NATO’s military structures would not advance and that additional armed forces from the alliance would not be deployed on the territory of the then-GDR after German reunification. Baker’s statement, mentioned in your question, was made in that context. Kohl and [German Vice Chancellor Hans-Dietrich] Genscher talked about it.”