Vladimir Putin In 2001, he asked the US to admit Russia to NATO - declassified transcripts
The United States has released secret transcripts of negotiations from the early 2000s, from which it follows that in In 2001, Vladimir Putin approached US President George W. Bush with a proposal for Russia to join NATO. This is reported by the NSA.
Key messages from the transcripts
The declassified documents show that:
у 2001 Putin told George W. Bush that Ukraine's accession to NATO «will create a field of conflict between Russia and the United States»;
the head of the kremlin called Ukraine as an «artificially created state» and argued that one third of the population is allegedly Russian;
already in 2008 Putin has openly defined Ukraine's membership in NATO as a «red line»;
he also predicted a conflict between the US and Russia and talked about a possible «The »split" of Ukraine.
Historical context
Negotiations between George W. Bush and Putin took place against the backdrop of attempts to build a new post-Cold War security architecture. At that time, Moscow publicly declared its readiness for partnership with the West, while at the same time clearly articulate its claims regarding Ukraine and NATO enlargement.
Assessment.
Analysts note that the published transcripts demonstrate consistency of the kremlin's position against Ukraine for more than two decades and refute Russia's claims of «sudden threats» that allegedly emerged only in 2014 or 2022.
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