How come Poland, Hungary, the Czech Republic etc. managed it?Not happening with a POD after 1991 IMO. Russia will be a political and economic mess that the west simply cannot and will not stick their hands too far into. Even if you avoid the resurgence of nationalism after the complete chaos that was the 90s.
How come Poland, Hungary, the Czech Republic etc. managed it?
Russia in NATO. Its like Americans in Al-Qaeda.
Are you really comparing NATO to al-Qaeda?
Are you really comparing NATO to al-Qaeda?
If Russia was not as corrupt as in OTL, the chances og russia joining NATO and EU is greatly increased.With a POD after 1991, have Russia be a member of both NATO and the European Union by 2010. And please be more specific than just "no Putin".
Russia can never join the EU, even it would turn into a perfect, wealthy, non-corrupt, non-hostile democracy. It is simply too big and would completely dominate the EU.
I think both are correct. The EU doesn't want Russia to join because it is too big (when Yeltsin while drunk suggested it, European leaders quickly tried to talk it out of him) and Russia does not want to join (as long as its leaders are sober), because it is ruinous for their economy.The opposite is actually true. Russia would not join the EU out of fear of what such membership would do to its political and economic independence.
Russia is primarily a resource extraction economy, the historical examples of what happens to resource extraction economies when married to production centred economies is not a pleasant prospect for Russia. Which is part of why they have so assertively protected thier geopolitical independence over the last two decades. The idea of becoming a dependant economic appendage of the EU terrifies the Russians.
If the Russian leadership thought they could have achieved economic dominance of Europe by pursuing closer relations with the EU, they would have done it.
Tom Clancy had a novel where China attacked Russia, and they joined NATO so as not to lose.
One of his worst.The Tom Clancy book being referenced is "The Bear and the Dragon" I believe
Russia as an observer and ally to NATO in a world where China is more hostile maybe, but that might need an earlier POD.Russia in NATO. Its like Americans in Al-Qaeda.