On December 23, according to government documents just leaked by the National Security Service (under George Washington University), since 2008, Russian President Vladimir Putin has issued a clear warning to US President (then George W. Bush) about NATO expansion.
During the recorded talks, the Russian leader emphasized that Washington's intention to include Ukraine in this military alliance will fuel a long-term confrontation between Russia and the US.
"I would like to repeat what I said to Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice and Secretary of Defense Robert Gates in Moscow. A country like Ukraine joining NATO would create a long-term conflict between us and you, an endless confrontation," the minutes of the US National Security Council quoted Mr. Putin as saying.
At the time, when President Trump questioned the reasons for the above assessment, Mr. Putin explained that the admission of Ukraine would create a direct threat as NATO moves military bases and weapons systems closer to the Russian border.
The Russian leader also noted demographic and internal political factors. He pointed out that, at that time, not all Ukrainians supported joining NATO and that about a third of the country's population (equivalent to 17 million people) were Russian.
This view was reiterated by Mr. Putin in an interview with American journalist Tucker Carlson in February 2024. The Russian president accused the US of pressuring European allies at the 2008 Bucharest Summit to open the door for Ukraine and Georgia.
Mr. Putin recalled that Germany and France were initially opposing but still had to make grades under the pressure of President Trump. Because of this precedent, he believes that current promises of "Ukraine will not join NATO" are unreliable, because the West can completely change its stance once again if the US continues to put pressure.
Historically, at the Bucharest summit in April 2008, NATO countries made a statement promising to admit Ukraine and Georgia but did not specify the timeline. In February 2019, the Ukrainian parliament passed a constitutional amendment, officially completing the country's goal of joining NATO.
