11 ms·
I can’t tell if you’re being pedantic here or if you actually substantially disagree with the characterization that it is primarily about the security of Europe
by jolux 5y ago
I can’t tell if you’re being pedantic here or if you actually substantially disagree with the characterization that it is primarily about the security of Europe against Russian aggression.
- jacquesm 5y agoThat may have been what it was about a long time ago, and I think in light of the current developments that probably will be what it is about again in the present, but in the intermediary that was less strongly a factor than that it was 'The affluent West' against 'the rest'. Even the Yugoslavian war did not - though it almost happened - ended up pitting NATO against Russia, and I believe that if Russia had followed through on the reforms instead of turning into a Dictatorship/kleptocracy that they just might have joined NATO at some point.
- rossmohax 5y agoPutin did ask to join NATO in early 2000s, was laughed out of the room.
- jacquesm 5y agoRightly so. Dictatorships have no place in modern NATO.
- zx85wes 5y agoExcept it wasn't a dictatorship back then. https://www.osce.org/odihr/elections/russia/16293 https://www.osce.org/odihr/elections/russia/16293
- jacquesm 5y agoYeltsin named Putin as his successor, the writing was on the wall for much longer, besides little details such as the Chechen war.
- rossmohax 5y agoPutin was overall very open to the West early on: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8X7Ng75e5gQ https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8X7Ng75e5gQ
- lupire 5y ago"ask" is quite overstating the case. There were some informal conversations between individuals.