Gorbachev was too naive to believe that the West would not move NATO an inch closer to the border with Moscow. A verbal assurance, no doubt, which gave the USA and NATO the perfect excuse to keep moving Eastward.
Even Putin had been blindsided in 2014 while negotiating with NATO after seeing NATO encroaching towards the Russian Border relentlessly, dangling a carrot in front of Zelenskyy and luring Ukraine to join NATO. This was Russia's red line that was to be the reason for the Ukraine War.
Agreements reached during negotiations between Russia and Ukraine in the early days of the war were about to be signed, but sabotaged by NATO, actually by Boris Johnson on behalf of the USA undoubtedly. This is what led Sergei Lavrov to say that any negotiation with the USA is tinged with deception, and the Russians no longer trust the USA in any further talks. In fact, the CIA chief's visit coincided with a visit by the Vatican representative to Moscow to give what was interpreted by many as giving a religious dimension to moral and humanitarian support to the USA. Many are asking why the Vatican did not send representatives to start talks regarding Gaza all this time, when genocide was rampant.
Of course, that trip by the CIA chief ended in failure. Russia no longer wants to talk about negotiation to end the war in Ukraine. They know it is all wasted time and effort.
Anonymous