Putin proposes setting up 'Eurasian Union'

[Loki]

Or Medvedev: Germany will help to modernize the Russian economy while Germany should think about its own ass first of all in the present situation.

That would obviously be mutually beneficial, no? They could become great trading partners, even more so if Russia's economy is modernized. Let's face it, few countries, if any, in the world have as much natural resources as Russia. It is in Germany's economic interest to strengthen the partnership.

[Joe McCarthy]

It's obvious that Russia won't be ever allowed to integrate into Europe, so what is the best could be done if not to create your own union. Like the European powers Germany, France etc needed Eastern Europe as a new market in order to dump their goods, the same way Russia needs Cental Asia. I would rather prefer not to see Kyrgystan and Tajikistan in the list of integration partners cause they have nothing to offer at the moment except cheap labour, but closer economical ties with Kazakhstan for example seem quite natural and reasonable. Without Russia this region will be totally dominated by China in no more than 5 years.

I think a key to Russia moving closer to Europe would be to get rid of Putin. The danger with moving closer to Central Asia is even more immigrants. I agree with your concerns about China though.

[Loki]

I think a key to Russia moving closer to Europe would be to get rid of Putin.

A weaker leader of Russia would just again let Russia be bullied into a non-equal partnership with Europe where Russian commodities and natural wealth are being robbed by sneaky oligarchs. But Perhaps the Putin years have minimized the chances of that happening again. Truth is, Russians are skeptical about European intentions unless they have a strong leader.

[Olika]

He proposed this a while back, nobody cared or still cares because none of these countries are much to concern yourself about - Central Asia? They have oil and what?

Belarus? Ukraine? Farmland...?

Russia... resources and what else?

Really, Russian news is like reading the local rag... 'Today a cat got stuck up a tree...' ... yawn.

resources Russia generally it american dream.

[Albion]

A weaker leader of Russia would just again let Russia be bullied into a non-equal partnership with Europe where Russian commodities and natural wealth are being robbed by sneaky oligarchs. But Perhaps the Putin years have minimized the chances of that happening again. Truth is, Russians are skeptical about European intentions unless they have a strong leader.

Russia shouldn't be used of course, but it needs to realise that it doesn't have any special place or rights in Europe nor does any other state.
Russia thinks it can bring the rest of Europe to work with it when it is Russia who needs to work with us.

resources Russia generally it american dream.

I don't know, they have oil, gas, mineral deposits and farmland, everything you need really.

[Loki]

Russia thinks it can bring the rest of Europe to work with it when it is Russia who needs to work with us.

That is the issue - you seem to suggest an unequal partnership. This is what is riling the Russians.

[Albion]

That is the issue - you seem to suggest an unequal partnership. This is what is riling the Russians.

No I'm not, they need to realise there's nothing special about Russia - they need to stop with the whole superpower pipe dream and deal with other countries as an equal and in return treat other countries as equals.

There is nothing tough to figure out about that. Russia just thinks it has a god given right over other nations the same as America does and it needs to stop.

[Basil]

That would obviously be mutually beneficial, no? They could become great trading partners, even more so if Russia's economy is modernized. Let's face it, few countries, if any, in the world have as much natural resources as Russia. It is in Germany's economic interest to strengthen the partnership.

I remember them repeating this mantra about Germany helping us in modernization for at least five years and can't see anything coming from this. Germany is interested in natural resources first of all. It's a bit too much to modernize a country in exchange for natural resources only, escpecially if you can obtain what you need without doing anything superfluous . I agree with beaver: I don't know why but virtually everything Putin and Medvedev try to do is a failure. Even Lukashenko has been making fools of them for years.

[Saturni]

I wonder why geopolitical projects of such persons as Medvedev and Putin can be of any interest at all. Putin has been consolidating Russia and Belarus for about 10 years to the great pleasure of Father Lukashenko having great discounts for the oil/gas (and good profits from transit) and fucking the Kremlin (and Putin personally) in every opportune moment. Or Medvedev: Germany will help to modernize the Russian industry while Germany should think about its own ass first of all in the present situation.

The Germans, being landlocked, were always at the disadvantage of the English and their seafaring global empire.

A German/Russian alliance, like the pre-WWII one, would totally shift the balance of power in Western/Central Europa.

Who knows, maybe the Krauts plan on ditching the EU in favor of this new continental bloc.

[Loki]

I agree with beaver: I don't know why but virtually everything Putin and Medvedev try to do is a failure.

Do you still remember the pre-Putin years? Russia was in a very humiliated, exploited state. A large part of the current difficulties is due to the global economic turndown, which has affected virtually every country (except perhaps China).