“Bill Clinton decided to expand NATO eastwards in 1997 and the pressure kept building.”
>>>>>>>
The USA can’t decide to expand NATO. Period.
Free European nations can ask to join NATO if that is their wish. Period.
Do you have a problem with countrie’s free will?
For example Sweden and Finland were the most anti NATO countries in Europe for decades.
But after Sovieto-Putin’s blatant invasion of Ukraine and its committed war crimes there... Well Sweden and Finland became MASSIVELY pro NATO within 48 hours. They immediately demanded to join. Finland is now in, and once Turkey lifts its veto, Sweden will be in NATO as well.
Putin is the one building up NATO ! Because of his senseless neocon war!!
Only the extreme far left party in Sweden didn’t vote to join NATO.
All the other Swedish parties DID vote for NATO. The most right wing party of Sweden the Sweden Democrats (a decisively anti immigration party) was the most vocal pro-NATO party of ALL the Swedish parties.
The historical record from 1997 exists Peter Hitchens a reporter in Washington for the British media saw it happen.
George Kennan, a senior US diplomat, whose containment policy towards the Soviet Union was the standard established in the 1950’s openly opposed this new Clinton policy back in the 1990’s.
He warned it would lead to confrontation at some point well here we are.
The US is the leader of Canada and other NATO countries. The US drives the engine the rest follow.
Not a surprise. Russia is a gulag nation. They want to enslave their neighbors. Putin will probably be replaced by a hardliner so I doubt things will improve in the future. That's why Russia's neighbors are joining NATO. But NATO's flaw is that they depend on America. They need the Brits, the French and the Germans to take more of a leadership role within NATO.