[Devlar]

Except its not... at least not in the 3 you listed compared the Russia

[Stipe]

Life in Poland and the Czech Republic is not remotely worse than life in Russia. Bulgaria is more comparable but even then I don't think one could say it's worse than in Russia...

At any rate, Russians can relax a bit more...Apparently further expansion into areas of the former Soviet Union isn't going to happen. A recent statement basically said that after the Balkans (and by implication in the statement, Turkey) there will be no further EU expansion.

[Liberal]

How about Switzerland, Norway and Island?

[Conspectator]

A recent statement basically said that after the Balkans (and by implication in the statement, Turkey) there will be no further EU expansion.

That statement was from Mr Prodi, who is an outgoing EU official, and the comments were it should be taked as exactly that - a statement from a nearly ex-official. The EU (and NATO) has already included 3 former Soviet provinces - Latvia, Estonia, Lithuania. If e.g. Ukraine formally files an application to join and does correspond the requirements satisfied by those three, it will be difficult for the EU to justify why Ukraine cannot be a part of Europe. It is, after all, situated mostly further to the West than e.g. Estonia (never mind Turkey) and a significant chunk of Ukrainian territory was historically a province of the Austrian Empire.

Russia's greatest concern should be not about its neighbours' EU membership - but perhaps about the prospect of its own EU and NATO accession happening in separate bits and pieces - starting from the Baltic Republic (around Kaliningrad/Koenigsberg), followed by the North-Western Republic with its capital in St.Petersbourg, and so on. Well, a common border with the EU makes this at least physically not impossible, which might be what brings unease into some Russian minds.

[Garibaldi]

Why would NATO or EU want to destroy Russia? Russia is poor and run down, they're no threat to any one and they have nothing to gain from doing this. I definatly think it's more important to consider how Russia can improve their economy and gain access to the EU.

[Stipe]

was it Prodi? I thought it was Verheugen. I can't find the article again though.

[glinert]

[/quote]Why would NATO or EU want to destroy Russia? Russia is poor and run down, they're no threat to any one and they have nothing to gain from doing this. I definatly think it's more important to consider how Russia can improve their economy and gain access to the EU.

Obviously, they want place with more natural resources than anything in world. We have most naturl resources in world and they ahve begun already to steal them all.

[betelgeuse]

glinert and/or berkut. Please expand on the topic. So far you've made some vague, unsubstantiated claims.

I too can say: Russia is exploiting the countries of the former USSR solely for an airy feeling of political potency. That need is born out of the frustration of not being a superpower any more. After having been defeated by the capitalist west, the only match for this once great state is it's weaker neighbours...

There...

[arcis]

"I definatly think it's more important to consider how Russia can improve their economy and gain access to the EU."

Improving economy? Yesterday I heard, that Moscow has the largest number of billionaires of all cities in the world. 33 billionaires in one city.
Even more than in New York. I think that shows, that the russian economy can not be that bad. Maybe there is only a small distribution problem?

[Garibaldi]

Glinert, I'll conced that Russia has some good natural resources, but they are far from the best in the world. They'd have to invade Western Africa to get the best.

As for invading Russia, that'd be stupid. Russia's economy is terrible, They'd have to rebuild everything from the ground up. It's part of the reason they're not gonna be allowed in the EU even if they want to. Also, your valuables are all locked in Siberia and unaccessable, except for a few. Besides this, you have poor roads and bridge structures, so all the resources in Western Russia are still locked.

Arcis, I don't know where you got those numbers but it does sound unreasonable to me. Russia is extremely poor; even if there is that many billionares living there, it's not raising the standard of living.

[Berkut]

Alright, cool it down dude..."extremly poor" what the hell...you make it sound like it was some African country.

[caesar]

Well I guss most of these "Natashas" are East-Europeans more than Russians. Life in countries like Poland, Czech Rep., Bulgaria etc is way worst than in Russia today...

Dont blind your self. There are other paid to do that.

[caesar]

"I definatly think it's more important to consider how Russia can improve their economy and gain access to the EU."

Improving economy? Yesterday I heard, that Moscow has the largest number of billionaires of all cities in the world. 33 billionaires in one city.
Even more than in New York. I think that shows, that the russian economy can not be that bad. Maybe there is only a small distribution problem?

Big distribution problem maybe. They have an amount of resource that any other country dont have, even America.

[American Victory]

Alright, cool it down dude..."extremly poor" what the hell...you make it sound like it was some African country.

Thats because Russia is some African country.


Well pretty close with its shitty economy and all, its one backwards nation. Maybe in another hundred years they'll catch up to the United States. We don't need to worry about those Russkie's anymore, they're a bunch of paper tigers. Nothing more.

[Devlar]

Except this paper tiger if pushed to the edge has the capacity of destroying the entire planet 5000 times over easily

[American Victory]

Oh phooey! Everyone knows America can do it better!

[Devlar]

Yes, you can destroy the planet 6000 times over, happy now?

[arcis]

@ Garibaldi

http://breaking.tcm.ie/2004/05/13/story147460.html

[American Victory]

Yes, you can destroy the planet 6000 times over, happy now?

Very. Everyone knows American nukes are the best on the whole planet.

[Essence]

Yes, you can destroy the planet 6000 times over, happy now?

Very. Everyone knows American nukes are the best on the whole planet.

What a honour!!!"American Dream" ha?..In this way your end will be like Soviets.