How NATO Jabs Russia on Ukraine

Exclusive: The U.S. mainstream media portrays the Ukraine crisis as a case of Russian imperialism, but the reality is that Moscow has been reacting to aggressive moves by Washington to expand NATO to Russias border in violation of a post-Cold War pledge, writes ex-CIA analyst Ray McGovern.

By Ray McGovern

Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov used Wednesdays interview with Bloomberg News to address the overriding issue regarding the future of Ukraine, at least from Moscows perspective. Speaking in fluent English, he said Russia would be categorically against Ukraine joining NATO.

Lavrov said he welcomed the interviewers question regarding whether Ukraine can be part of NATO, recognizing it as a chance to shoehorn background information into the interview.It was an opportunity to explain Moscows position to a wide English-speaking international audience first and foremost Americans.His comments seemed partly aimed at those so malnourished on mainstream media that they might be learning the history of NATO enlargement for the first time.Lavrov said:

Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov.

In my view, it all started back in the 1990s, when in spite of all the pronouncements about how the Cold War was over and that there should be no winners yet, NATO looked upon itself as a winner.

Lavrov said U.S. and NATO reneged on a series of commitments: not to enlarge the Alliance; then (after NATO was expanded contrary to that commitment), not to deploy substantial forces on the territories of new NATO members; and then not to move NATO infrastructure to the Russian border.

All these commitments have been, to one degree or another, violated, said Lavrov, adding that attempts to draw Ukraine into NATO would have a negative impact on the entire system of European security. Lavrov said Russias national security interests and 25 years of recent history make this a key problem, not only for Ukraine and NATO, but also an issue of Russia.

Is Lavrov distorting the history?The answer is important the more so inasmuch as the information needed to form cogent judgments is rarely found in the U.S. mainstream media. What happened in the months immediatelybefore and afterthe fall of the Berlin Wall on Nov. 9/10, 1989, is key to understanding Russias attitude now.

No Dancing

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How NATO Jabs Russia on Ukraine