Ukraine
My facts were not 100% accurate, but the premise was. NATO moved in right on their borders. Many folks in Congress and around the world in Europe did not want to add these countries to NATO in fear of provoking Russia. As I referenced before, that's what killed the "decent" relations with Russia. I conceded we were never truly "friends", but the tension and threat of nuclear annelation was no where near Cold War levels. So there was a chance that the two countries could close the gap in international relations. Adding those countries to NATO in 2004 closed that door.
I'm no expert on the area in the early 2000, and neither are any of you. My position is the United States did not help relations by helping add those countries to NATO in 2004. I do not blame the US for failed diplomacy.....I understand who and what Russia is, but to pretend we did not have a hand in it all is naive and homerism. The US did it because we could and Russia was weak at the time. I just wonder if things happened differently if the world would be different today. Nobody knows that. Russia could have invaded the Baltic region if they don't get included into NATO.......or a more general peace could have happened between the US and Russia.
The United States as had a hand in so many things on the world stage since the end of WWII. Most are good and were well intentioned. Some are vile and we should be ashamed. I guess the batting average is pretty good, tho.
This why it's so hard to have intelligent debate/discussion on topics.
Here we have a reply that literally, in the 3rd sentence, peddles an absolute proven lie.
"Many folks in Congress...."
Congress voted 96-0 in 2004.
"...and around the world in Europe"
Only one opposed. Russia
I don't know how you propose to have discussion on a topic in which you are doing zero research in support of your comments. If you did, you would see that opening statement is not fact.
NATO was, is and will continue to be a purely defensive alliance. It was never once determined to be an aggressive alliance. It was to defend democracy of burgeoning old Soviet satellites.
Russia didn't fear invasion, they feared isolation. When it became clear they were isolated, they embraced and Putin rose to power.
I would advise that you watch a documentary on Putin. Who he once was, how he became President of Russia, and just what has transpired over the last 25 years under his rule.
Your facts aren't even 50% accurate.