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The United States says Russia has not wanted to join NATO since the 1990s. This is in contrast to Russian President Vladimir Putin’s claim that attempts to join NATO have been blocked by the West. Photo/REUTERS
Biden’s remarks were made to American television host Stephen Colbert on Thursday.
That statement contrasts with claims by Russian officials, including President Vladimir Putin, that their country’s attempts to join the bloc are being stymied by the West.
Blinken appears in “The Late Show” CBS to talk about US policy on Russia and why Washington believes Putin is working against his own goals by attacking Ukraine.
“He wants to prevent NATO from getting bigger with Ukraine. Now it’s actually with Finland and with Sweden,” Blinken said, referring to the membership applications the two Nordic countries sent to NATO this week.
Colbert cited Pope Francis’s opinion that NATO’s expansion in Europe was partly to blame for the crisis in Ukraine, but the top American diplomat said that was not the case.
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“NATO is a defense alliance,” he assured. “It has no aggressive intentions towards Russia. It never attacked Russia; it will not attack Russia. It was not meant to attack Russia.”
The television presenter then presented what he called the “crazy idea” that Russia should then be allowed to join NATO as well. To that end, Blinken said; “In the 1990s it was actually something people were talking about.”
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