RE:RE:RE:RE:RE:RE:KEEPING AN EYE ON THE WORLDSorry Sham but yes you are right about this conversation but the whole story is more complicated.
An high ranked official in US ambassy said that but when you plan to attack another country, an important US ally, it's not so simple; You need many conversation and not only one phone call to someone, as high ranked he is.
Second, There was no agreement with NATO in 1991. USSR dismantled by themselves, without approbation of others. Each republic became autonomus. Some conversations took place and some said that NATO does not intent to stretch eastward. That's true. But there was no agreement. Years after several former republics ask to joint EU and NATO. Why? For the same reason that USSR dismantle themselves and introduced reforms. The economic bankrupsy of the country.
Do you know that the GDP (gross domestic product) of Russia is only 1,7 B$, Japan and Germany each alone are at 4B$, EU is at 20 B$. No country wanted to stay associated with a small economic power. Russia is only a dwarf with a too big army.
The problem with Internet is that we can find some true facts but too many truncated and biased analyzis