Text taken from a document at gwu.edu. and here.
Commentary by Russian military journalist Boris Rozhin is in italics.
[ColonelCassad] How the Road to War in Ukraine Was Paved in American Diplomacy Materials.
Here, girls, we have an anniversary NATO summit. And just in time, declassified documents from the 90s on NATO expansion to the East have arrived. It's fascinating reading, but long. We have chosen the best of 17 American memoranda and telegrams for you:
✔️ Offer membership to the Baltic countries and Ukraine. They should not remain in the "gray zone of Russian influence" - October 14, 1994 ( https://nsarchive.gwu.edu/document/32226-document-3-anthony-lake-secretary-state-secretary-defense-un-ambassador-and-joint ), memorandum by US National Security Advisor Anthony Lake
✔️ The issue of "strategic superiority/political insurance" (containing Russia) should be kept in mind, but not spoken, to prevent the allies from limiting themselves to only the Visegrad Group countries (Czech Republic, Slovakia, Hungary, Poland) as new members. Yeltsin needs to regularly talk about the theoretical possibility of Russia joining NATO - October 14, 1994 ( https://nsarchive.gwu.edu/document/32226-document-3-anthony-lake-secretary-state-secretary-defense-un-ambassador-and-joint ), memorandum by US National Security Advisor Anthony Lake.
✔️ The main thing is to “Open the doors” for Ukraine, the Baltics, Romania and Bulgaria to join NATO, while publicly declaring that “the doors are open to all comers” — October 14, 1994 ( https://nsarchive.gwu.edu/document/32226-document-3-anthony-lake-secretary-state-secretary-defense-un-ambassador-and-joint ), memorandum by US National Security Advisor Anthony Lake
✔️ We need to talk to the Russians about developing and deepening relations with NATO. We will need to get the Russians to agree with our strategy for further NATO expansion to the East — December 21, 1994 ( https://nsarchive.gwu.edu/document/32228-document-5-deputy-national-security-adviser-samuel-berger-president-meeting-vice ), memorandum of the US Deputy Assistant for National Security Affairs Samuel Berger to President Clinton.
✔️ Do not discuss within NATO the possibility of admitting Ukraine to the Alliance, given the sensitivity of this issue for Russia, but maintain these intentions. Develop a separate program for working with Ukraine — December 22, 1994 ( https://nsarchive.gwu.edu/document/32229-document-6-memorandum-anthony-lake-and-samuel-r-berger-alexander-vershbow-nicholas ), memorandum of the US National Security Council Working Group
✔️ "We are not going to discuss with the Russians the entry or non-entry of Ukraine and the Baltics into NATO. All their statements about the "rights of Russian speakers" or the "traditional sphere of influence" need to be "slammed hard". And constantly say that if Ukraine and the Baltics want to join NATO, they have every right to do so - the same as Russia itself. "c — namely, to declare the unacceptability of admitting Ukraine and the Baltics into NATO" — August 23, 1996 ( https://nsarchive.gwu.edu/document/32233-document-10-strobe-talbott-draft-memorandum-nato-russia-framework-next-phase ), Strobe Talbott memorandum on further NATO enlargement
✔️ NATO may be needed to fight terrorism, ensure security in Europe, or confront Russia if it again takes the path of expansionism in foreign policy… The United States is not going to train European troops to fight the Russians in Central Europe. We have a new mission to protect our values and interests - February 9, 1997 ( https://nsarchive.gwu.edu/document/32234-document-11-draft-letter-strobe-talbott-george-kennan ), Talbott's letter to George Kennan in response to Kennan's criticism of NATO expansion
✔️ "The Europeans should have pressed Putin hard on Chechnya and said that such issues can only be resolved through diplomacy… …We are likely to pay the price for forcing Yeltsin to change his harsh "no" to a reluctant "yes" on NATO expansion for seven years… …The bosses in Moscow can use their economic successes to restore Russian influence" - November 16, 2000 ( https://nsarchive.gwu.edu/document/32241-document-18-ambassador-pickering-cable-us-embassy-london-deputy-secretarys-november ), a telegram about a conversation between Talbot and the British ambassador to NATO Manning.
But of course, no one wanted war. They didn't even think about it.
https://nsarchive.gwu.edu/document/32226-document-3-anthony-lake-secretary-state-secretary-defense-un-ambassador-and-joint - zinc