Russia-Ukraine war: Did NATO's promises of Warsaw Pact provoke Moscow in attacking Kyiv?

The Russia-Ukraine war has entered day three and there are no signs yet that Moscow is willing to yield after its President Vladimir Putin announced a 'special military operation' against Kyiv on Thursday.

Ukraine's closer ties with the United States and NATO have been seen as a sign of aggression by Russia, who are claiming that the West has repeatedly denied their request of ignoring their demands to prevent Kyiv from joining them. However, the Russia-Ukraine war is far more complicated as historical agreements such as the Warsaw Pact have significant influence in provoking Moscow to take such action.

Here is a detailed look at what is the Warsaw Pact and what were the promises made by NATO and the United States after Russia agreed to terminate the agreement in 1991 after the Soviet Union's dissolution.

What is the Warsaw Pact and how is it similar to NATO?

Similar to the North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO), the Warsaw Pact was a military alliance treaty between the Soviet Union and the countries of Eastern Europe. The Warsaw Pact was signed between the Soviet Union and seven other Eastern Bloc countries (Albania, Bulgaria, Czechoslovakia, East Germany, Hungary, Poland and Romania) in Warsaw in Poland on May 14, 1955.

This agreement was signed as a reaction to the integration of West Germany into NATO in 1955. Amidst the tensions of the Cold War between the United States and the Soviet Union post World War II, the Warsaw Pact was created as a counterweight to NATO and to improve the cooperation between the two major superpowers of the world.

Significance of Warsaw Pact in Russia-Ukraine war

NATO currently recognizes Bosnia and Herzegovina, Georgia, and Ukraine as aspiring members. If Ukraine becomes a part of NATO, not only will it develop closer ties with the United States, but the latter will also have access to the Russian border. Hence, Russian President Vladimir Putin sees Ukraine's closer ties to the West as aggression, resulting in him having initiated a 'special military operation' against Kyiv.

When the dissolution of the Soviet Union took place in 1991, NATO had promised Russia that if it terminated the Warsaw Pact, they would not include countries of Eastern Europe in the defence treaty that were previously part of the Soviet Union. Russia decided to end their treaty in 1991 after the disintegration of the Soviet Union, with the hope that NATO would fulfil its promise. However, NATO did not do so as it went on to include countries like Estonia, Poland, Romania and Latvia, which were a part of the Soviet Union under the Warsaw Pact.