Putin Wanted Russia to Be Part of Western Europe, The Guardian Reports

Vladimir Putin, in the early years of his leadership, expressed a desire for Russia to join NATO, but simultaneously did not want his country to go through the usual application process and wait in line with "very insignificant countries."

According to The Guardian, this statement was made by former NATO Secretary General George Robertson, who led the alliance from 1999 to 2003. He detailed that during his very first meeting with Putin, the Russian leader made it clear that he wanted Russia to be part of Western Europe.

"They wanted to be part of the safe, stable, prosperous West from which Russia was absent at the time," the former NATO chief recalled about his early encounter with Putin. "Putin asked, 'When will you invite us to join NATO?' and I said, 'Well, we don't invite people to join NATO; they apply to join NATO.' And he replied, 'Well, we are not going to stand in line with many countries that don’t matter,'" Robertson recounted.