"Would you prefer to see a united Germany outside of NATO, independent and with no U.S. forces or would you prefer a unified Germany to be tied to NATO, with assurances that NATO’s jurisdiction would not shift one inch eastward from its present position? He (Gorbachev) answered that the Soviet leadership was giving real thought to all such options
Gorbechev himself confirmed this:
“The topic of ‘NATO expansion’ was not discussed at all, and it wasn’t brought up in those years. … Another issue we brought up was discussed: making sure that NATO’s military structures would not advance and that additional armed forces would not be deployed on the territory of the then-GDR after German reunification. Baker’s statement was made in that context… Everything that could have been and needed to be done to solidify that political obligation was done. And fulfilled.” Gorbachev continued that “The agreement on a final settlement with Germany said that no new military structures would be created in the eastern part of the country; no additional troops would be deployed; no weapons of mass destruction would be placed there. It has been obeyed all these years.”Gorbachev continued that “The agreement on a final settlement with Germany said that no new military structures would be created in the eastern part of the country; no additional troops would be deployed; no weapons of mass destruction would be placed there. It has been obeyed all these years.”
People have argued otherwise, but both President Gorbechev, and his Minister of Foreign Affairs, Eduard Shevardnadze, have been clear they were not lied to. Both were critical of NATO expansion, but clear on exactly what they were negotiating. Ironically, Shevarednadze became President of Georgia and led his country to join the Council of Europe in 1999 and declared its intention to join NATO in 2002, which brought about Russia's invasion in 2008.
You broke it, you bought it.