Changes

When we say that we object to NATO's expansion to the East, we are not expressing any special ambitions of our own, ambitions in respect of some regions of the world. ... By the way, we have never declared any part of the world a zone of our national interests. Personally, I prefer to speak about strategic partnership. The zone of strategic interests of any particular region means first of all the interests of the people who live in that region. ...}}

When we say that we object to NATO's expansion to the East, we are not expressing any special ambitions of our own, ambitions in respect of some regions of the world. ... By the way, we have never declared any part of the world a zone of our national interests. Personally, I prefer to speak about strategic partnership. The zone of strategic interests of any particular region means first of all the interests of the people who live in that region. ...}}

In 2004 the Baltic states - [[Latvia]], [[Lithuania]], and [[Estonia]] joined NATO, setting up another common border between the Russian Federation and a NATO state.  Three years later, at the Munich Security Conference, Putin declared, “We have the right to ask: against whom is this [NATO] expansion intended? And what happened to the assurances our western partners made after the dissolution of the Warsaw Pact? Where are those declarations today? No one even remembers them.”<ref>https://aldeilis.net/english/putins-historical-speech-munich-conference-security-policy-2007/</ref>  In 2008 NATO said Ukraine and Georgia would become members.  Four other [[Eastern Europe]]an states joined NATO in 2009.

In 2004 the Baltic states - [[Latvia]], [[Lithuania]], and [[Estonia]] joined NATO, setting up another common border between the Russian Federation and a NATO state.  Three years later, at the Munich Security Conference, Putin declared, “We have the right to ask: against whom is this [NATO] expansion intended? And what happened to the assurances our western partners made after the dissolution of the Warsaw Pact? Where are those declarations today? No one even remembers them.”  

At the February [[Putin 2007 Munich Security Council speech|2007 Munich Security Conference President Putin]] said,

at the February [[Putin 2007 Munich Security Council speech|2007 Munich Security Conference President Putin]] said,

{{quotebox-float|"I think it is obvious that NATO expansion does not have any relation with the modernization of the alliance itself or with ensuring security in Europe. On the contrary, it represents a serious provocation that reduces the level of mutual trust. And we have the right to ask: Against whom is this expansion intended? And what happened to the assurances our western partners made after the dissolution of the [[Warsaw Pact]]? No one even remembers them."<ref>https://scheerpost.com/2023/02/19/patrick-lawrence-munich-as-propaganda-fest</ref>}}

{{quotebox-float|"I think it is obvious that NATO expansion does not have any relation with the modernization of the alliance itself or with ensuring security in Europe. On the contrary, it represents a serious provocation that reduces the level of mutual trust. And we have the right to ask: Against whom is this expansion intended? And what happened to the assurances our western partners made after the dissolution of the [[Warsaw Pact]]? No one even remembers them."<ref>https://aldeilis.net/english/putins-historical-speech-munich-conference-security-policy-2007/</ref> <ref>https://scheerpost.com/2023/02/19/patrick-lawrence-munich-as-propaganda-fest</ref>}}

===Article 5 invoked first time - Afghanistan ===

===Article 5 invoked first time - Afghanistan ===