It was a red herring of Russian Imperialism.
In early 2008, President George W. Bush expressed strong support for Ukraine and Georgia joining NATO. During a visit to Kyiv on April 1, 2008, he stated, "The United States strongly supports NATO membership for Ukraine and Georgia."
At the NATO Bucharest Summit on April 3, 2008, President Bush reiterated this stance, asserting, "NATO should welcome Georgia and Ukraine into the Membership Action Plan."
In the previous couple years, Georgia and Ukraine had been exerting huge efforts in giving America a blowjob - including sending troops to Iraq.
In July 2023, Joe Biden remarked that "Ukraine's future is in NATO."
This is why I say you are sadists. America is sadistic in how it dangles the offer of NATO membership, while privately thinking it's a stupid idea.
The Europeans are sadistic for holding out the carrot of EU membership, while privately considering it a nightmare scenario.
If you are not sadists, then you are hypocrites.
Also, if you think we hallucinated the NATO possibilities, did we also hallucinate our Black Sea Fleet almost being kicked out of Crimea?