On January 14, 1994, the former president of Russia, Boris Yeltsin, in a meeting with his American counterpart Bill Clinton in Novo-Ogarevo, said that Russia should be the first country to join the alliance in case of NATO expansion.

Axar.az reports that this was mentioned in a transcript declassified by the US National Security Archive.

"It is necessary to create a kind of cartel that will help strengthen international security, including the USA, Russia and European countries. Other countries of Central and Eastern Europe should follow Moscow," Yeltsin said.

In the transcript, Clinton's response to the Russian leader's proposal appears to be very reserved. He touches on the subject of Russia's greatness but does not mention the idea of Yeltsin's proposed unification of countries or the country's membership in NATO.

The US president told his Russian counterpart about the unique opportunity that will open up to them if the planned course of relations between the two countries continues:

"We can guarantee Europe a century of peace or more."