The US National Security Archive has declassified a new batch of documents, including a memorandum by members of the National Security Council. This was reported by DEA News.
The document states that the possibility of NATO membership for Ukraine, Latvia, Lithuania, Estonia, as well as southern countries, should be supported. It emphasizes that it is not possible to discuss this in public “given Russia’s sensitivity.”
The authors of the memorandum, Alexander Vershbow and Nicholas Burns, stated that the strategy towards Ukraine should be developed in parallel with the development of the North Atlantic Alliance partnership with the Russian Federation. They stressed the inadmissibility of the Russian side confusing this dialogue with participation or veto rights in membership decisions, and suggested holding a serious dialogue with Moscow.
The declassified minutes of the March 1997 White House talks between Russian President Boris Yeltsin and US President Bill Clinton were also released. The American politician later said he wanted to create a NATO that “would not pose a threat to Russia” but would allow the US and Canada to remain in Europe and work with Russia and other countries to create a united, free Europe and solve other problems.
Clinton did not want to promise that the former Soviet countries would not eventually join NATO. She said that would be bad for trying to build a new alliance, but it would also hurt efforts to build a new Russia.
Previously USA declassified Documents on NATO negotiations between Yeltsin and Clinton.