Jagdflieger
Contributor
There was a reunification process that needed the "approval" of the "victory powers" France, UK, USA and Soviet-union.Like NATO will not expand to the territory of the former German Democratic Republic. These discussions stopped immediately after the German side explained that in the case of GDR reuniting with FRG, the GDR armed forces automatically turned into NATO bases.....
It was exactly in this regard that "not one inch East" was propagated by the then US republican led government and then Germany's chancellor Kohl- And therefore the Soviet-Union agreed towards a reunification and former East-Germany becoming part of NATO - also being paid billions in regards to relocation cost of Soviet Military from East-Germany to Russia.
There was no East expansion during the US republican government till 1998/9 despite Poland having received candidate status in 1996.