The German publication Der Spiegel writes that a 1991 document was discovered in the British National Archives, in which representatives of Western countries in a narrow circle discuss the obligation to the USSR not to expand NATO to the East.
We are talking about a document from the negotiations between representatives of the foreign ministries of the United States, Britain, France and Germany in Bonn on March 6, 1991, which was previously classified as “secret”. On them, the representative of the Federal Republic of Germany Khrobog said:
“During the 2+4 negotiations, we made it clear that NATO will not expand further than the Elbe. Thus, we cannot offer NATO membership to Poland and others.”
Der Spiegel clarifies that Hrobog apparently confused the Elbe with the Oder.
US Representative Seitz, according to the document, stated that “the USSR was given to understand” that they would not benefit from the withdrawal of Soviet troops from Eastern Europe, “NATO should not expand to the East either formally or unofficially.”