... which, as the OP points out, were hollow words and the Membership Action Plan that would have been the first step to joining NATO never got off the ground. Two minutes on Wikipedia!

It was stalled under Yanukovych. NATO reiterated their commitment to it in Brussels in April 2021.

Assuming Russia did nothing it would have happened eventually.

Can we acknowledge the hypocrisy of the whole thing.

The reason NATO exists is because small countries in europe were afaid of USSR, and nowdays Russia.

Nato is defensive pact, as such there is no threat coming from nato to any non nato country.

Now a independent neighbor of Russia is trying to join nato to not be bullied by russia. Russia is not liking it because they will not be able to fuck with Ukraine any more and not because they are afraid of anything.

This war is a proof why Ukraine was 100% justified to seek nato membership not other way around.

We should stop victim blaming Ukraine.

I remember Putin expressing his extreme displeasure at NATO's intervention in Libya precisely because the implicit threat was "you're next, Putin". It was mostly ignored by the west but it was clear how furious he was at America and Hillary specifically.

I dont see any reason why NATO working to destabilize Libya that passes muster that doesnt apply equally well to Russia. The idea that it was acting defensively is a farce. A conservative assessment is that Libya is a model for what they are aiming for in Russia in the long term.

Ukraine is the victim and Russia is the aggressor but the west essentially gave a stick to a child and encouraged it to poke the bear before running away and hiding behind a rock.

We could have prevented this.

Yeah if you are a dictator having a civil war and you actively committing war crimes against your own people then you can fear nato might be compelled to intervene.

Russia claims its a democratic country with highest standards of freedoms, why would they feel threatened?

> "an immediate ceasefire in Libya, including an end to the current attacks against civilians"

Anyone claiming NATO was an aggressor akin to what Russia is doing now is a fool.

80 years of toppling democratically elected leaders and supporting Western aligned dictators ought to give a small hint that democracy that doesnt suit their interests doesnt even register as a concern for the West.

Russia feels threatened because NATO was set up specifically to oppose them and is not all that interested in democracy that doesnt threaten western hegemonic interests.

You dont exactly see NATO threatening Mohammed bin Salman for invading Yemen do you?

And if democracy is so important why is it official policy that the crimean referendum be annulled rather than re-held?

>Anyone claiming NATO was an aggressor akin to what Russia is doing now is a fool.

NATO destroyed Libya. The fact it did it at arms length is immaterial.

To pretend it is not a threat to Russia is farcical.

> 80 years of toppling democratically elected leaders and supporting Western aligned dictators ought to give a small hint that democracy that doesnt suit their interests doesnt even register as a concern for the West.

By west you mean US? Its not like europe was active in any of those, bar illegal invasion of Iraq and Afganistan lead by US forces.

> Russia feels threatened because NATO was set up specifically to oppose them

Hmm I wonder why? Why nato was not set up to stop those dangerous Turkish people, or blood thirsty Ukrainians, but peaceful USSR, and then Russian Federation lead by exKGB spies... hmmm I wonder why anyone would be concerned.

> official policy that the crimean referendum be annulled rather than re-held?

LOL, ok you are a troll at this point. Fighting with 'whataboutism' is pointless

If you and putin love democracy so much why dont you setup referendum for Chechnya people? Lets see how that vote goes.

> NATO destroyed Libya. The fact it did it at arms length is immaterial.

Nato targeted and destroyed Libyan army, know your facts. There was no ground forces ever deployed.

To pretend NATO ever threaten any aggression to Russia, Russian civilians or Russian soil is a farce bigger then you.