ABSTRACT
This chapter considers the supposed promises between Russian and American officials about the future expansion of North Atlantic Treaty Organisation (NATO) and the statements of both Putin and Medvedev regarding these promises to allow for an examination of the two president's perspectives on the alliance. It offers a comparison of the security documents to see the attitude of the Russian leadership towards NATO. One of the arguments that Russian leaders have used against NATO has been the existence of promises that the West supposedly made to Soviet leaders that NATO would not expand after the inclusion of a reunified Germany. Since NATO represents a onetime enemy that has expanded to include former Warsaw Pact and Soviet Union countries, Russia has many factors to consider when formulating its policy towards the organisation. The divergence of opinions among the NATO member-states has had an important role in shaping the opinion of the Russian leaderships on the alliance.
