Comments on: Ukraine: long term implications http://siberianlight.net/ukraine-long-term-implications/ The Russia Blog Thu, 19 Apr 2012 13:30:39 +0000 hourly 1 http://wordpress.org/?v=3.3.1 By: Alexei http://siberianlight.net/ukraine-long-term-implications/comment-page-1/#comment-6258 Alexei Thu, 01 Jan 1970 00:00:00 +0000 http://65.124.18.226/~siberian/?p=209#comment-6258 What has long puzzled me is why the EU wouldn't offer Russia a prospect of EU membership (with a detailed, say, 10-year schedule of requisite reform). Had they done it a decade ago, Europe might stretch from the Atlantic to the Pacific now. I'm sure most Russians would favor accepting such an offer, and the benefits to the EU would be enormous -- first of all, a degree of control over Russia's natural resources. That would make the issue of Ukraine, Moldova, and Belarus joining the Unions virtually moot. Ditto for NATO. Many Russians dislike Western interference in CIS countries not because they don't trust the West but out of envy. "Why not us? Why don't you help <i>us</i>?" What has long puzzled me is why the EU wouldn’t offer Russia a prospect of EU membership (with a detailed, say, 10-year schedule of requisite reform). Had they done it a decade ago, Europe might stretch from the Atlantic to the Pacific now. I’m sure most Russians would favor accepting such an offer, and the benefits to the EU would be enormous — first of all, a degree of control over Russia’s natural resources. That would make the issue of Ukraine, Moldova, and Belarus joining the Unions virtually moot.

Ditto for NATO. Many Russians dislike Western interference in CIS countries not because they don’t trust the West but out of envy. “Why not us? Why don’t you help us?”

]]> By: stereoscope http://siberianlight.net/ukraine-long-term-implications/comment-page-1/#comment-6259 stereoscope Thu, 01 Jan 1970 00:00:00 +0000 http://65.124.18.226/~siberian/?p=209#comment-6259 Of course russia wants into the EU. What they don't want is the USA dropping bags of money around to prop up its Popular Front Party Franchise. Of course russia wants into the EU. What they don’t want is the USA dropping bags of money around to prop up its Popular Front Party Franchise.

]]>