NATO’s expansion into Eastern Europe made it possible to avert an earlier crisis in the region. This opinion was expressed by former American leader Bill Clinton in an interview with CNN.
“I think we did the right thing at the right time. If we hadn’t done it, the crisis could have happened even earlier,” – said the politician.
According to the former US president, he allegedly invited the Russian authorities to join forces to counter future shared risks that could come from both non-state actors and authoritarian states selling chemical, biological and nuclear weapons to terrorist organizations.
Clinton also said that he offered the Russian side not only the status of NATO’s special partner, but also the prospect of membership.
Earlier, NATO officially acknowledged that planning to expand its presence near Russia’s borders began several years ago.
