“We must address the root causes of the conflict, so that nothing of this kind happens again, so that the peace is lasting and durable,” Russian President Vladimir Putin said in reply to a question at his year-end press conference about the possibility of a US-Russia agreements and possible cooperation with NATO.
He spoke of past efforts to integrate the Soviet Union and then Russia with NATO and said that promises NATO had given about not expanding eastward were “ignored.” NATO’s expansion toward Russia’s borders “could not fail to cause us concern and still causes serious misgivings,” he said.
Therefore, he said, “devising a new security framework for Europe is quite timely. There was a time before the dissolution of the Soviet Union when there were smart people in Europe, including the leaders of Germany’s SDP. Take Egon Bahr. An accomplished politician, he went as far as suggest establishing a new security system in Europe without expanding NATO. Instead, it would have included the United States, Eastern European countries and Russia in order to ensure inclusivity without placing anyone in a tight spot.”
