Abstract:
NATO enlargement in the post-Cold War period has been one of the great bones of contention between Russia and the West in the Yeltsin and Putin periods. This article analyzes the roots of these disagreements at the time of negotiations between Gorbachev and Western leaders about what should be allowed in Eastern Europe in the event of German reunification. There are several controversies and different points of view about this, and an investigation of the primary source documents released over the last few years can help shed light on what really happened in these so crucial negotiations to understand the current positions of different countries in this intricate international chess game.
Keywords:
NATO enlargement; Russia; Post-Cold War period