Russian Leadership Quotes
After the breakup of the Soviet Union, NATO expanded to include some fo the former Soviet Nations thus moving NATO territiry to the East--closer to Russia, whose leaders percieved that the expansion was hostile and dangerous for the indpendence of Russia. What made the situation more complex is that the American Secretary of State, when the Soviet Union was very powerful, had made an agreement with the Soviets that in return for Russian aquiessance of NATO being extended to East Germany, NATO would not expand further West. But after the collapse of the Soviet Union, Russia was quite weak and NATO expanded east despite the earleir comittment. The US and th eother NATO counties took the pozition the previous comitmnts were not binidng as they were never formally signed. The Russians then decided to take a hard line position and flaunt and use military force to which would stop the Western expansion closer to the Russian border.
Actually, his lack of understanding should not have been surprising. Politically and historically, there has been no more complex and arcane area of the world than Russia. See Winston Churchill's quote on that point--Quotation 597728. No one has ever understood the politics and complesities of Russia to any great degree. And the years durinbg which Pavlosky served the Russian Presidents wittnessed a rapid change in all aspects of Rissian life and society moreso than any times except the Russian Revolution and WWII. It will take 100 years or more before theye may be a deep understanding of this period of Russian hisory.
