WHY does that even matter? And yes. I was in Europe post the Berlin Wall falling, and German unification. A lot of work went into evaluating various airfields and communications networks prior to them becoming NATO members. It was my job. Hungary and Poland joined in 1999, but work had been ongoing since 1995. And yes, I went on several TDYs to Eastern Europe, including Hungary, Poland and the former Republic of Yugoslavia—Bosnia and Croatia.
At the time, Russia had no objection. But then Yeltsin was a drunk but not power-mad. There was even some joint NATO exercises with Russian armed forces and serious talk of them also joining NATO.
Putin didn’t have a problem with the USA until Obama. Remember when Dubya said he looked into Putin’s eyes and he saw his soul?
Romania is in NATO now and has been for a while, so having US troops there is not a provocation.
United States Relations with Russia: After the Cold War
https://2001-2009.state.gov/r/pa/ho/pubs/fs/85962.htm
This only goes through 2007. You’ll have to go elsewhere to see things turn south when Obama gets control of the USA, but they certainly did.
So truth will out as the Bard said. President Obama, with crooked Joe Biden, joined with the the Globalists and Neocons to press for the overthrow of President Putin by encroaching on Russia through NATO, which started this proxy war only to fill their coffers of corruption.
And you like Hillary, asks "why does it even matter?" Oh, you didn't include "at this point" so it wasn't a direct quote. But remember you are siding with Joe Biden which is a dead give away you are on the wrong side.