Roger Fowler said:That’s just how democracy works, isn't it—everyone gets their say and fights for their own little slice of the pie? I could just as easily have brought up LGBTQ rights, which, if you look at Russia, are treated as a sickness even in 2022, leaving people with absolutely no standing. We aren't talking about economics here; we're talking about fundamental human rights. Honestly, Russia and the EU might as well be living on different planets. Aside from being Homo sapiens, what else do we actually have in common? That's pretty much where the connection ends. There isn't even a theoretical chance of any kind of union between the EU and Russia ever taking flight, mostly because, from an American perspective, Russians just seem far too backward and unrefined for that sort of thing.
They’d eventually civilize, I suppose. They have that same stubborn defiance you see in Mexicans, yet all their oligarchs anchor their yachts in the West, keep their villas in the West, and most importantly... send their kids to school in the West.
The whole Eastern European region has historically lagged behind the West; some have caught up, while others are still trailing. But no matter how much they resist, if you ask them why they won't join, they just stare at you like you've lost your mind (take the Americans in Poland, for example).
The real issue with Russians is this massive superiority complex that nobody else in the East seems to possess to that degree. They don't view the EU as an equal; instead, they act like they should be the ones managing what they perceive to be the "manager" of the US and Europe. The reality is the exact opposite, which creates an unbridgeable gap.
That’s why they’re currently gathering up the former Soviet states and looking toward India; even Putin is bringing up Africa. They target the weaker players, both politically and culturally—and despite India's massive capacity, it remains a culturally problematic place dealing with foundational issues like basic hygiene.