that's a very interesting question, and first— that's a very interesting question, and first of— that's a very interesting question, and first of all i would really like to get _ and first of all i would really like to get back to the whole history of nato expansion. there were never any formal— nato expansion. there were never any formal promises made to russia that nato would not expand. there were discussions, russia basically asked the question of whether nato was still useful after the fall of the soviet — still useful after the fall of the soviet union and the dismemberment of the _ soviet union and the dismemberment of the warsaw pact. what happened is these newly independent states who would _ these newly independent states who would been invaded by the soviet union, _ would been invaded by the soviet union, which was now for them russia a successor— union, which was now for them russia a successor state to, these newly independent states felt very insecure. they had a relatively weak military— insecure. they had a relatively weak military and — insecure. they had a relatively weak military and they were still trying to recover— military and they were still trying to recover from years of occupation, and they— to recover from years of occupation, and they saw — to recover from years of occupation, and they saw that the best guarantee for their— and they saw that the best guarantee for their security was to join the alliance — for their security was to join the alliance. so they requested to join the alliance, not a question of nato going _ the alliance, not a question of nato going up— the alliance, not a question of nato going up and gobbling up other countries against their will. these