Nato’s spokesperson, Oana Lungescu (Letters, 6 March) shamelessly misquotes Mikhail Gorbachev to support her contention that the alliance never gave a commitment not to take in new members. She writes: “Gorbachev said: ‘The topic of “Nato expansion” was not discussed at all, and it wasn’t brought up in those years.’” Readers might wonder which years Gorbachev was referring to. The interview from which that sentence is taken makes clear that he had in mind, in fact, the years 1990-91, when German reunification was on the cards and a promise was given not to deploy Nato forces in the former East Germany (a promise which Gorbachev says has been kept to this day). He goes on to say that the question of expanding Nato further afield did not even arise at that time, because “not a single east European country suggested it, even after the demise of the Warsaw pact in 1991. Western leaders didn’t raise the issue either.”

But when the matter did arise, in 1993, Gorbachev says: “I from the very start called it a great mistake. It was certainly a violation of the spirit of those declarations and assurances that we were given in 1990.” He goes on to say: “We now have a crisis in European relations. One of its causes, though not the only one, is the unwillingness of our western partners to take account of Russia’s point of view, legitimate interests and security. Verbally, they applauded Russia, especially during the Yeltsin years, but in deeds they took no account of it. I am thinking mainly of Nato’s enlargement, the plans to deploy a missile shield, and the west’s actions in areas important to Russia (Yugoslavia, Iraq, Georgia, Ukraine). They literally told us: it’s not your business. As a result an abscess built up, and burst.”

As you say, Ms Lungescu, Mr Gorbachev’s words “carry weight”. It’s bad enough having the Russian media distorting the truth, without Nato doing it too.

More about: