Western policy analysts and historians are once again challenging long-standing Russian arguments about NATO expansion, spheres of influence, and supposed Western betrayal — narratives that Moscow continues to use to justify its full scale invasion of Ukraine. The detailed analysis explores why these claims are historically inaccurate, strategically misleading, and deliberately crafted for propaganda value. The remarks directly challenge the Kremlin’s assertion that NATO somehow “promised” not to expand, a storyline heavily promoted by Russian officials and sympathetic commentators. The…