RE: Finland and US prepare agreement on creation of military bases4 May 2023 18:48
Tim pops his head above the parapet again, I see. What a malingerer, not to say willful obfuscator on this board. Whatever James Baker said to Gorbachev in the negotiations over the reunification of Germany in 1990/91 (not an inch eastwards, apparently) he had no mandate from NATO to say that on their behalf ( NB Warsaw Pact was still in existence at this point) which Gorbachev knew of course. Hence no demands for a legal text. In 2014 Gorbachev conceded in an interview with a German newspaper that there had been no agreement but that he felt the spirit of the negotiations at that time had been broken. Yes, indeed - after two utterly brutal wars in Chechnya in 1994 and 1999 ( Chechnya was first absorbed into the Russia Empire in 1785 by Catherine the Great) Poland Hungary and the Czech Republic joined NATO - in 1999. Coincidence? You don't do international politics on the basis of 'tacit agreements' or a 'Gentleman's word'. The claims made by Putin are at least 90% false. As for Nordstream, I think Tim will update his views - by saying no more about
it.