Russian President Vladimir Putin spoke about a conversation with former US President Bill Clinton in 2000. Then the Russian leader asked his American colleague how the White House would react to Russia’s entry into NATO. The head of state announced this on Monday, February 21, in an address to the Russians.
“I will say this for the first time: in 2000, during a visit to Moscow by outgoing US President Bill Clinton, I asked him: how would America react to accepting Russia into NATO? I will not disclose all the details of this conversation, but the reaction to my question outwardly looked, let’s say, very restrained, ”he said.
Putin noted that the US reaction to the Russian proposal is still being demonstrated through the actions of the American leadership. He called open support for terrorists in the North Caucasus, disregard for security demands and concerns, NATO expansion, withdrawal from the ABM Treaty as “practical steps” by which the United States demonstrates its response to Putin’s question in 2000.
“Why? Why all this? For what? Well, you don’t want to see in our person a friend and ally, but why make an enemy out of us? There is only one answer – it is not in our political regime, not in something else. They just don’t need such a big independent country as Russia. This is the source of the traditional American policy in the Russian direction,” the Russian president summed up his thought.
Earlier that day, Putin held an extraordinary meeting of the Russian Security Council, during which its members unanimously called for recognition of the independence of the self-proclaimed Donetsk and Luhansk People’s Republics (DNR and LNR).
At the meeting, Putin announced an assurance from US President Joe Biden that Ukraine was not going to be accepted into NATO in the near future and that they intended to introduce a moratorium on this topic. According to him, during a telephone conversation, the American president noted the unwillingness to accept Ukraine into the North Atlantic Alliance “tomorrow”.
Source: IZ
Jane Stock is a technology author, who has written for 24 Hours World. She writes about the latest in technology news and trends, and is always on the lookout for new and innovative ways to improve his audience’s experience.
