This is simply not correct, and even Gorbachev has confirmed this. There has never been any agreement stating that NATO is not allowed to accept new members in any particular direction. There were statements made by western politicians but never any pen to paper. The sovereign states that have joined NATO have not done so because of some US campaign or persuasion, but by their own free will. Your statement is indirectly saying that these countries are too dumb to decide for themselves, it's incredibly condescending.
Thanks, you just confirmed that you shall never trust what America says till you have that in writing.
"Very American, very like!" - Borat
How would the US respond to an enemy alliance incorporating Mexico or Canada?
That was at best a narrow window in the 90s. The Russians backed Serbia during the Yugoslav war.
Yeah, there's absolutely no desire from the local populations to join the EU and NATO at all...
That so-called promise is a lie made up more than a decade later. Russia and NATO have in writing[1] that they agree to respect that third countries' are free to choose their allies, and even when asked specifically about Eastern Europe joining NATO in 2004 (which was overwhelmingly their initiative, against the hesitancy of existing members), Putin personally said that it's fine and Kremlin's official press release repeated it, without any mention of any broken promises or other grievances.[2]
[1] https://www.nato.int/cps/en/natohq/official_texts_25468.htm
And speaking of the war in Ukraine, I truly believe the US provoked Russia. Of course, Russia is responsible for its war crimes, but the US and its allies are the ones who wanted to encircle Russia by expanding NATO eastwards, even after they promised not to.
There was a time when we could have made Russia an ally, but now they are an enemy and aligned with China.
Our politicians either are too stupid, too corrupt, or both.