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Wickoff pointed out that U.S. efforts to integrate Ukraine into NATO and the European Union posed a direct security threat to Russia. This point aligns with Mearsheimer's longstanding argument that NATO expansion—viewed by the Kremlin as an existential threat—has significantly contributed to the tensions resulting in the current war.
The Historical Context of NATO Expansion
Mearsheimer elaborated on the sequence of NATO expansions, highlighting pivotal moments in the late 20th and early 21st centuries where the U.S. pushed for the inclusion of Eastern European countries despite vocal Russian objections. The 1999 and 2004 NATO expansions were marked by protests from Russia, which were rapidly ignored by a West perceived as unconcerned due to Russia's weakened state at that time.