No, part of what you have posted is bullshit!
That part about them being free to join NATO is pure fabrication. Over a decade ago I watched a debate on CSPAN where Russia experts warned that the expansion of NATO to Russia's former republics might eventually lead to war. And as recently as December of 2021 Putin again warned about the consequences of the west trying to expand NATO into Ukraine and deploying missile systems near the Russian border.
Putin demands NATO not expand into Ukraine, blames US
And now, here we are only months later with Russian troops in Ukraine. It's not as if we weren't warned but the arrogant neo-con "regime changers" weren't satisfied with merely staging a coup to replace the
democratically elected Russia-friendly leader with this clown Zelensky, who despite what we are told about the savagery of Russian attacks
seems free to not only travel about Ukraine for photo ops but also to travel to other countries to plead his case.
Scott, for the love of God! What has gotten into you lately?
This is the Budapest Memorandum:
https://treaties.un.org/doc/Publication/UNTS/Volume 3007/Part/volume-3007-I-52241.pdf
Can't quote from it because it's a scanned-in document, so please, just read it.
And here is the summary of the 1997 NATO-Russia Summit:
NATO - Official text: Founding Act on Mutual Relations, Cooperation and Security between NATO and the Russian Federation signed in Paris, France, 27-May.-1997
From which:
- refraining from the threat or use of force against each other as well as against any other state, its sovereignty, territorial integrity or political independence in any manner inconsistent with the United Nations Charter and with the Declaration of Principles Guiding Relations Between Participating States contained in the Helsinki Final Act;
- respect for sovereignty, independence and territorial integrity of all states and their inherent right to choose the means to ensure their own security, the inviolability of borders and peoples' right of self-determination as enshrined in the Helsinki Final Act and other OSCE documents;
Agreed to and signed by all parties, including Russia.
Of course, back then Putin was just an up and coming thug in St. Petersburg, so he had no hand in that signing.
Where exactly do you guys get these dumbass conspiracy ideas from?
NATO does not expand on it's own! Membership must be requested by each individual state, and then certain criterias must be met by said state. and then and only then is an acceptance granted or refused.
As far as Ukraine and it's NATO membership...
Up-until 2013, Ukraine very much wanted to be part of the EU, but the people overwhelmingly ( like 80% by some estimates ) were against NATO membership!
Not until Putin sliced off Crimea the very next year did they change their tune and considered that a NATO alliance might be in their best interest if they wanted to keep the rest of their country!
And to the other point of a coup by the West ...
You may not like to hear this, but Viktor Yanukovych WAS NOT!!! a Putin ally when he got elected!
In fact he got elected because he promised to take Ukraine out of the shithole situation it was in by looking towards the West and rely less and less on Russia.
Problem was that the country was in such a deep shit that no amount of European loans were enough to get it back on it's feet.
By 2010 the IMF put such restrictions on further loans that the government at the time could not accept it as that would have led to a complete collapse.
At the same time Russia had no such problems in granting money to Ukraine, all they asked was loyalty to Russia.
They also showed Ukraine that they do mean business and in 2012 effectively shut down the exports from Ukraine to Russia, which led to a 25%-is decline in Ukraine's GDP.
This ( and a few other insolveable issues ) led to the eventual decision by Yanukovych at the end of 2013 to tell the EU that he no longer seeks entrance into the alliance.
The nation got pissed off and booted the cheating, lying thief out of Kyiv.
And you know the rest of the story ... ( or, of course feel free to make up some utter bullshit on your own )
Looks like a hot bowl to me.
