Germany lies when it Announces it will never approve Nato membership for Ukraine. Germany approved all previous 15 Nato accession, why a nein on Ukraine?
Fool me once, shame on.... Russia has been burned 15 times by Nato! How bad can it get?
The fact of the matter is that it is Putin, and not Germany, that has vetoed Ukraine's Nato aspirations. As well as the aspirations of Georgia. Who gave Mr Putin his veto? His Army is his veto. Poaching in Mr Putin's neighbourhood is increasingly a risky business.
Except, of course, you little rant on behalf of supreme leader Putin does not change the point, his aspirations are far deeper than NATO. Whatever someone thought or rationalized regarding Gorbachev's negotiations in 1990, such belated concerns weren't an impediment to the US and Russian leaders who signed of the Budapest Memorandum or their new leaders (i.e. Obama and Putin)
jointly reaffirming the agreement in 2009. Perhaps Herr Putin has forgotten the agreement he endorsed?
Russia, the US, and the UK pledged to
“respect the independence and sovereignty and the existing borders of Ukraine.” and to
“refrain from the threat or use of force against the territorial integrity or political independence of Ukraine.” They also pledged to
“seek immediate” UN Security Council action “to provide assistance to Ukraine … if Ukraine should become a victim of an act of aggression.”
What changed in 2013 was NOT Nato, but EU membership. After five to six years of openly known negotiations between Ukraine and the E.U. Herr Putin decided that a free trade agreement between Ukraine and the rest of Europe was unacceptable, period. He respected Ukraine's "independence and sovereignty" he blackmailed the leader of Ukraine with threats of economic retaliation against 100s of thousands of eastern workers who depend on jobs in industries that supply Russia.
THAT was the pivotal moment in Putin's madness. NOT Nato, but the assertion of political and economic independence of the Ukraine. You are quite right; in his view the EU was "poaching" in what he and Russia OWNED. Nothing in the EU agreement precluded bi-lateral trade treaties with Russia at the same time, but the Ukraine's serfs were Russia's property.
Belated screaming about NATO is trojan horse, hiding all of the deeper sense of entitlement and desire for domination of Russia's former vassalized national peoples. His speech and Marcon's six hours of listening to the man rant is proof enough.
It's a shame you and some other "conservatives", most of whom fully understood the nature of totalitarian communism in the Soviet Union, are blinded by a newfound respect for a KGB officer and his regime.
Go figure.