Haughty by nature: on the EU’s outward rhetoric
... influence over its policies, the Kremlin has not set any politico-legal conditions to accession; economic integration is what it says and what it means. The symbolism of it all Apart from the early planning stages, Russia has not taken part in the Eastern Partnership or the European Neighbourhood Policy. Amongst a number of practical reasons, they fear it endangers their own regional integration projects as well as their own rapprochement with the EU. But let’s not underestimate the role of national pride here. How could the world’s largest country by territory, a crucial global player in economic, military, and foreign policy terms, accept being put into the ...