[tharmas]

They were not offered NATO membership. Putin hinted to Clinton he would like it. Clinton didn't respond. Came back later (after consulting with his staff) and declined the offer.

Putin is smart enough to know that Russia is in no position to be an imperialist power.

The goal of keeping Russia and Europe (Germany) apart is not a secret. Please see Zbigniew Brzezinski.

And I'd like to point out that the Soviets kept Germany divided for a justifiable reason: 27 million Russians died at the hands of Germany's imperial ambitions.

And while we are on the subject of "bullshit", the war in Ukraine did NOT start in Feb 2022. It started long before that.

[piva00]

Helmut Kohl's was the one snubbing Putin ambition of NATO membership, not Clinton.

> And I'd like to point out that the Soviets kept Germany divided for a justifiable reason: 27 million Russians died at the hands of Germany's imperial ambitions.

And it lasted for generations, from 45-89, that's at least 2 generations of Germans who went through a divided nation. Has Germany been a problem to Russia afterwards? Doing what, buying petrol, and nat gas from them?

> And while we are on the subject of "bullshit", the war in Ukraine did NOT start in Feb 2022. It started long before that.

I never stated that, I live in Europe, the annexation of Crimea is very much in recent memory. The subjugation of Georgia previously as well.

Putin had support for decades to participate in Europe as a peer nation, even after Georgia in 2008. If Putin really wanted to be in NATO then why did he created an issue with Georgia becoming closer to the rest of Europe in 2003 transforming into a full blown invasion in 2008?