DISINFO: NATO never wanted to cooperate with Russia
SUMMARY
NATO had several chances to include Russia in the common defence system, but this idea has been constantly refused for 70 years, which indicates the direction of the Alliance against Russia.
RESPONSE
A recurring pro-Kremlin narrative about aggressive, anti-Russian Western policies In fact, there were many instances of NATO reaching out to Russia. NATO's relations with Russia started after the end of the Cold War when Russia joined the North Atlantic Cooperation Council (1991). Practical cooperation started after Russia joined the Partnership for Peace programme (1994) and deployed peacekeepers in support of NATO-led peace-support operations in the Western Balkans in the late 1990s. Dialogue and cooperation were strengthened in 2002 with the establishment of the NATO-Russia Council (NRC) to serve as a forum for consultation on current security issues and to direct practical cooperation. NATO suspended practical cooperation with Russia due to its aggressive actions in Ukraine. However, NATO continues to keep channels for political dialogue open. The NATO-Russia Council, an important platform for dialogue, has never been suspended. There have been ten meetings since 2016.