Russia’s stance changed gradually during the early 2000s, as world oil prices – and Russian output – recovered, reinvigorating the country’s economic base at a time when its leadership was becoming increasingly autocratic. Only then did Russia start to claim that the US and its European allies had offered some implicit pledge not to expand NATO eastward.
俄罗斯的立场从21世纪初开始逐渐转变，与此同时，世界石油价格&mdash;&mdash;以及俄罗斯的产出&mdash;&mdash;也出现了复苏，这重振了俄罗斯的经济基础，而它的领导层也变得越来越极权。此后，俄罗斯才开始宣称美国及其欧洲盟国曾经做过北约不东扩的间接承诺。