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Ukraine Can't Be Discussed ‘Without Addressing NATO’s Expansion Eastward’ – US Commentator

© AP Photo / Evan VucciPresident Joe Biden meets with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky in the Oval Office of the White House, Thursday, Sept. 21, 2023, in Washington.
President Joe Biden meets with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky in the Oval Office of the White House, Thursday, Sept. 21, 2023, in Washington. - Sputnik International, 1920, 05.02.2024
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Russia has repeatedly warned NATO against its eastward expansion, which the Kremlin says could further stoke tensions in Europe.
American political commentator and podcaster, Candace Owens, has stressed the significance of linking the Ukraine conflict with NATO’s ongoing expansion toward Russian borders.

"No serious person can discuss what happened in that region without addressing NATO’s expansion eastward despite promises made by our government officials that we would not, following German reuinification," she tweeted.

Owens recalled that Russian President Vladimir Putin "signified this reason in virtually all of his speeches leading up to and after" the start of Moscow’s special military operation.
The remarks came after the Russian head of state last year berated the US-led military bloc for repeatedly making "empty promises" not to expand eastward. In an interview with Chinese television, Putin noted that there have been "five waves" of expansion since the US administration assured Russia in 1991 that NATO would not expand eastward.

"And each time we expressed our concerns, we were told: well, yes, we promised you that NATO would not expand eastward, but these were verbal promises, namely, where is the piece of paper with our signature on it? There is no such paper, so goodbye. You see, it's very difficult to have a dialogue with such people," the Russian president noted.

Prior to this, Putin made it unequivocally clear that if Ukraine were to potentially join NATO, it would pose a security threat to Russia, and would in no way bolster Ukraine's own security.

He stressed that one of the reasons for the Russian special operation is "the threat of Ukraine's entry into NATO."

In recent years, the North Atlantic alliance had particularly disregarded Moscow's offers related to NATO and the US, which aimed to provide security assurances. These proposals included an agreement that would enforce a mutual commitment from both Russia and NATO to refrain from positioning troops, ships, or aircraft in proximity to one another.
In addition, Moscow requested an immediate halt to NATO's expansion towards Russia's borders, emphasizing the importance of abstaining from inviting post-Soviet countries into the bloc or deploying military infrastructure on their territories.
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