Former US Ambassador to Germany Richard Bart believes that NATO enlargement, under the pretext of expanding democracy, was a mistake and that Russia should have certain guarantees for its security.

In an interview with the Italian media Corriere della Sera, he said that there had never been a formal promise that NATO would not expand eastwards, but that there was no intention to expand the alliance to its current dimensions.

"Many then began to believe that NATO was a project to expand democracy, and those countries that joined the alliance became democratic. "But enlargement is still a mistake."

According to the US diplomat, who is now a consultant on geopolitical issues, the recent talks between the representatives of Moscow and Washington in Geneva, Brussels and Vienna were successful for Russian diplomacy.

"The essence is Ukraine. Part of the West understands or begins to understand that there is a structural problem within the Ukrainian crisis. It is clear that the United States and NATO will not deploy forces on the ground to defend Kiev.

"That is why it is absolutely necessary to find a compromise formula - Ukraine not to be part of NATO."

He believes that a little creativity in these negotiations will be needed for the Russians to be safe on this existential issue for them.

Bart estimates that a "Finnish option" can be considered in relation to Moscow. The problem, however, is that Helsinki managed relations with Moscow very wisely during the Cold War, which is not the case with the Ukrainians.

The American diplomat states that no one really knows the intentions of the Russian leader Vladimir Putin.

"By mobilizing more than 100.000 troops on the Ukrainian border, Putin has tried to draw the attention of the West, and especially the Americans, to his stance on Russia's security concerns.

Let us be careful, this is a topic that is deep in his heart. "At the 2007 Munich Security Conference, the Russian president delivered a very sharp speech against the West - all that Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov or his deputy, Sergei Ryabkov, has been saying in recent days is in that speech," Bart said.