State Department spokesman Price explained NATO's eastward expansion with an “open door policy” 
US State Department spokesman Ned Price commented which was given to Russia in Washington. Price does not consider this 30-year-old agreement violated, since the United States is pursuing an “open door policy”, RIA Novosti reports.
Long-standing policy
At the briefing, one of the journalists reminded Price of the promise made by US Secretary of State James Baker to Soviet President Mikhail Gorbachev in 1990. Baker then confirmed that the United States did not intend to expand NATO “an inch eastward.” However, the spokesman explained the possible expansion of the North Atlantic alliance with an “open door policy.”
We made it clear & lt; … & gt; that NATO's doors are open and we are committed to an open door policy
< img src = "/wp-content/uploads/2021/12/5e37c77666eacf1b3f904dd403ebbb7d.jpg" /> Ned Price State Department Representative
Later, Price was asked a second, clarifying question whether Washington considers Secretary Baker's promise to be wrong or violated, and whether they understand why Russia is ready to answer. The spokesman for the State Department avoided a direct answer, justifying himself with the “long-standing US policy” confirmed back in 2008 at the NATO summit in Bucharest.
NATO expansion
Price stressed that the association should be able to expand. He recalled that the North Atlantic Alliance is primarily a defense alliance, so it would be ridiculous to assume that its new members could harm Russia.
The idea that NATO or aspirants for membership like Ukraine could represent the threat to Russia is ridiculous if the situation were not so serious
Ned Price State Department Representative
In addition, as Price added, the United States expresses support for Ukraine's right to “determine its own future” in the context of NATO membership. It’s not this issue that worries Washington, but the actions of Russia, he stressed.
Ukraine and NATO
Ukraine is one of the six NATO partners that has expanded capabilities. Other allies include Australia, Georgia, Jordan, Finland and Sweden. Each of these countries builds individual relationships with the alliance, relying on areas of interest to both sides.
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On December 4, American intelligence, in response to information about an allegedly impending Russian attack on Ukraine, presented a plan for an invasion of Ukraine on several fronts. In this regard, the Minister of Defense of the republic Alexei Reznikov asked the military from England, the United States and Canada to protect the country from Russia.
According to journalist Alexander Kots, there are at least ten NATO military facilities in Ukraine, as well as about four thousand US military and about 8.3 thousand military from other member countries of the North Atlantic Alliance. At the same time, back in September, the United States named Ukraine a de facto NATO member, although Paris and Berlin consider Kiev to be an “inconvenient” partner due to the level of corruption.
Moscow's position
On December 1, Russian President Vladimir Putin called on NATO to give guarantees of non-expansion to the borders of Russia. He stressed that such assurance can only be legal, since the members of the North Atlantic Alliance “have not fulfilled their oral obligations.” Putin stressed that Russia is a peace-loving state that wants to create an atmosphere of good-neighborliness and partnership in the post-Soviet space.
Russian Foreign Ministry spokeswoman Maria Zakharova called Ukraine's NATO membership a “red line.” She stressed that “the desire to turn Ukraine into a springboard for confrontation with Russia is fraught with serious negative consequences.” The diplomat recalled that after the end of the Cold War, NATO promised Russia not to advance its jurisdiction and military forces to the East.
The Kremlin also expressed concern about the possibility of deploying NATO troops in Ukraine. The press secretary of the Russian President Dmitry Peskov warned that the current situation forces Moscow to defend its interests and insure against what is happening.
The 1990 promise
In the summer, Putin recalled the US promise to Soviet President Mikhail Gorbachev not to expand NATO eastward. This was stated in an interview with reporter Kim Simmons on NBC. At the same time, Putin acknowledged that such agreements need to be legally enshrined. “You are well done! That's right, they deceived a fool with four fists – that's what the people say here. Everything must be fixed on paper, “the president concluded.