Comment by brabel

> it was never going to actually happen.

That announcement is still on NATOs website to this day. To think it would never happen can only be seen as wishful thinking.

> try so hard to become NATO members?

If your intention is to align with the EU, it makes sense you want military protection against invasion in the future. Even Russia wanted at one point to join. The question is really why Russia should sit quietly while several countries around it join an alliance against it? Would the US be ok with Mexico and Canada doing that? Sounded ridiculous until a few months ago, now that is a sensible thing for them to seek. Look at how the US reacted to just a EV deal Canada made with China.