re: Was Russia Promised that Nato Wouldnt Expand to the East on inch?

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Cuba.

Which they tried and we threatened nuclear war.

We are hypocrites of the highest order.

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Often forgotten: the US stationed Jupiter/Nuclear warheads in Turkey, which Russia felt threatened by.

Russia retaliated by putting weapons in Cuba.

Yes, Russia relented on Cuba. The United States also relented on Turkey.

Yes. Then-Secretary of State James A. Baker III to Mikhail Gorbachev.......

“There would be no extension of NATO’s jurisdiction for forces of NATO one inch to the east."

It was left to Potatus (aka Creepy Joe Biden) to throw gasoline on the simmering fire when just about the time Russia invaded Ukraine, the buffoon argued NATO should approve Ukraine's application for entrance to NATO. I recall Potatus saying that, whereupon I whispered - somebody, anybody tell that baffoon to STFU.

That was all the excuse tyrant Vlad Putin needed to invade Ukraine.

Make no mistake Biden groupies, Ukraine will not win this war. Furthermore, those 31 Abrams MBTs Potatus sent will arrive in Ukraine just in time for the Ruskies to capture them. Then they will regroup and point the guns on those Abrams Tanks toward Poland.

"Never underestimate Joe's ability to f*** things up" - Barack Hussein Obama

War is hell. Choosing leaders certifiably buffoon is worse.

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The USSR collapsed (Cold war ended) because it was morally and economically bankrupt and of Nationalism. Captive nations, Poles, Czechs etc and republics Estonians, Latvians, Ukrainians, etc., wanted independence.

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With prodding from Reagan, Thatcher and Pope John Paul II.

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I'm really skeptical the degree to which Russia had market liberals who would have won the power struggle

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We'll never know, will we?

Bill Clinton was too busy wetting his cigar, ordering pizza, and messing up 'blew' dresses to be bothered making inroads with the world's other nuclear superpower.

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I'm really skeptical the degree to which Russia had market liberals who would have won the power struggle between right and left wings, both of whom had revanchist aspirations.

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Who was the right and who was the left in 1991? (communist versus democrat activist)

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Russia turned its back on that sort of integration many times.

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Reform was probably impossible, 70 + years of Communism was worse than the 45 years Eastern Europeans endured, it is at least another generation of fricked up people. Outside of St Petersburg,Moscow and perhaps Yekaterinburg there were few interested in democracy or change. The corrupt nomenclature held the power to resist.

Had Yeltsin might not have been a drunk Russia may have had an outside shot as he had great respect initially. The driving force in the Republics and Captive Nations was nationalism.

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What would he have said if he didn't have total naval control of The GOM/Caribbean, and a blockade was impossible? That's a bit more apropos to Putin's situation.

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We can play what if all day.

What if Putin had no desire on Crimea or a land bridge to Crimea? Would there have been a war in Ukraine since 2014?

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In response to a US backed overthrow of the Ukrainian government? Given that nuance, Putin would have been a strategic imbecile to risk ex-Soviet Naval Bases and control of the Black Sea falling into NATO's hands.

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No, Putin had designs on Crimea from day one, quit trying to change my what if. Stick with your own what ifs.

:-)

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Comical? That is interesting. What other years of Yeltsin's tenure as the first elected Russian President would you choose?

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So ….
You’re trying to say that the world at large should judge the centuries of Russian aggression against its smaller neighbors for the “Seven years of Yeltsin?

Well Russia was an economic basket case during those years and could hardly afford to invade the Chechens! But Yeltsin did!!! He got his arse handed to him however.

So in 7 years a prostrate Russia under Boris Yeltsin invaded s smaller nation, and he promoted Putin to follow him as leader!

Yeltsin hardly appears to be a giant peacenik! LOL.

I still taste cherries.