Lord Robertson recalls Russian president did not want to wait in line with 'countries that don't matter'. Former Labour defence secretary who led NATO between 1999 and 2003, said Putin made it clear at their first meeting that he wanted Russia to be part of western Europe. "They wanted to be part of that secure, stable prosperous west that Russia was out of at the time."

...
Vladimir Putin told David Frost he would not rule out joining NATO "if and when Russia's views are taken into account as those of an equal partner". It was hard for him to visualise NATO as an enemy. "Russia is part of the European culture. And I cannot imagine my own country in isolation from Europe and what we often call the civilised world."

Russian Gas Made Europe A Global Leader

War with Russia was a choice ... the war hawks won the narrative from the principled supporters of the Four Freedoms, founding act of the EEC and EU.

'Sapere aude'