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Small-Scale Question Sunday for March 2, 2025

Do you have a dumb question that you're kind of embarrassed to ask in the main thread? Is there something you're just not sure about?

This is your opportunity to ask questions. No question too simple or too silly.

Culture war topics are accepted, and proposals for a better intro post are appreciated.

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You need to start with the NATO-Russia Founding Act signed in 1997 that outlined how Russia and NATO were supposed to cooperate and live in peace and harmony. (https://www.nato.int/cps/su/natohq/official_texts_25468.htm)

But the good feelings were short lived as the expansion of NATO into former Warsaw Pact countries and Operation Allied Force in 1999 were seen by Moscow as a betrayal of the agreement. Things got a bit better after 9/11 when there was a common enemy, but that again was quickly undone by Moscow’s view that NATO was sponsoring Color Revolutions in its periphery.

There was certainly windows of opportunity for closer cooperation, but there was a lot of mistrust and misunderstanding that stopped it from becoming a meaningful partnership.