Russia didn't apply to join though, they (Putin) expected special treatment.

    The Labour peer recalled an early meeting with Putin, who became Russian president in 2000.

    “Putin said: ‘When are you going to invite us to join Nato?’ And [Robertson] said: ‘Well, we don’t invite people to join Nato, they apply to join Nato.’

    And he said: ‘Well, we’re not standing in line with a lot of countries that don’t matter.’”

https://www.theguardian.com/world/2021/nov/04/ex-nato-head-s...