Lately, a strange trend has emerged among certain so-called “conservatives” who are bending over backward to justify Russia’s invasion of Ukraine. Now, being skeptical of U.S. foreign policy is fair—we’ve certainly had our share of misadventures—but that doesn’t mean we should start parroting Kremlin propaganda like useful idiots.

The three main arguments these pseudo-conservatives push to defend Russia’s aggression are:

1. NATO broke a supposed promise not to expand eastward.
2. Ukraine is a “Nazi” nation that needs to be “de-Nazified.”
3. Ukraine was oppressing Russian-speaking Ukrainians.

The first argument—the claim that NATO betrayed Russia by expanding eastward—is the most common, so let’s break it down and see if it holds water. (Spoiler: It doesn’t.)

No Signed Agreement, No Broken Promise

One of the loudest complaints from Russia (and its Western apologists) is that NATO expansion violated a promise made to the Soviet Union at the end of the Cold War. It’s true that Western leaders, particularly U.S. Secretary of State James Baker, made verbal assurances in 1990 that NATO would not move “one inch eastward” during discussions about German reunification. The Soviets, especially Mikhail Gorbachev, took those assurances seriously. But here’s the kicker: there was never a formal, legally binding agreement that prohibited NATO expansion.

And in diplomacy, as in business, if it’s not in writing, it doesn’t count.

Think about it this way: If you were buying a house and the seller verbally promised to throw in a free hot tub, but that detail never made it into the contract, would you expect a judge to rule in your favor when you complain later? Of course not. A handshake means nothing if it’s not backed by a written agreement.

Even Gorbachev himself admitted in a 2014 interview that NATO never broke a formal agreement because no such agreement existed. Western leaders later clarified that their statements were made in the specific context of East Germany, not the rest of Eastern Europe.

So no, NATO didn’t break any promises—because no promise was ever formally made. Russia simply miscalculated, assumed it had a deal, and then got mad when reality didn’t match its expectations.

Ukraine Wasn’t Even Joining NATO

But let’s pretend, just for argument’s sake, that NATO had made a formal, written agreement not to expand. Even then, Russia’s invasion of Ukraine still wouldn’t be justified.

Why? Because Ukraine wasn’t even on a path to NATO membership when Russia invaded.

In 2010, Ukraine officially declared itself a non-aligned nation, meaning it had no plans to join any military alliance. Public support for NATO membership in Ukraine was weak, and the country wasn’t anywhere close to meeting NATO’s requirements. In other words, NATO wasn’t “expanding” into Ukraine—Ukraine was staying neutral.

So what changed? Russia.

In 2014, Russia invaded Crimea, took over the peninsula, and backed separatists in eastern Ukraine. That, unsurprisingly, made Ukraine reconsider its neutrality. After all, when your neighbor repeatedly breaks into your house, locks on the doors start sounding like a good idea.

Even so, Ukraine still wasn’t a NATO member when Russia launched its full-scale invasion in 2022. In fact, it only formally applied for membership after Russia attacked.

So let’s get this straight:

• Russia invaded to stop Ukraine from joining NATO.
• But Ukraine wasn’t even in NATO.
• And then, after Russia invaded, Ukraine actually decided to apply.

That’s like punching someone in the face to stop them from calling the police—only for them to call the police because you punched them.

Russia’s Invasion Backfired Spectacularly

If Russia’s goal was to stop NATO expansion, it achieved the exact opposite.

Before the invasion, NATO’s presence in Eastern Europe was limited. But thanks to Russia’s aggression, NATO has grown significantly.

• Finland joined NATO in 2023, adding 832 miles (1,340 km) of NATO’s border with Russia.
• Sweden joined in 2024, further strengthening the alliance.
• NATO has increased military support for Eastern European nations that were previously neutral or hesitant about membership.

Instead of “pushing NATO back,” Russia’s war pushed more countries into NATO’s arms than ever before. Talk about a self-own.

Final Thoughts

There’s a fine line between healthy skepticism of Western foreign policy and blindly repeating enemy propaganda. Unfortunately, some on the right have crossed that line, defending Russia’s actions based on misinformation.

Here’s the truth:

• NATO never broke a formal agreement with Russia.
• Ukraine wasn’t even joining NATO when Russia invaded.
• Russia’s invasion actually caused NATO to expand further.

Putin didn’t invade Ukraine because of NATO expansion—he invaded because he wants to control Ukraine. This war isn’t about security concerns; it’s about imperial ambitions. Justifying it by twisting history doesn’t make you a smart contrarian—it just makes you gullible.

Real conservatism means standing for national sovereignty, opposing aggressive wars, and defending the right of free nations to choose their own alliances. Russia’s invasion of Ukraine violates all of those principles.

So let’s stop making excuses for a tyrant and start standing for the truth.