Russia played the same game when it was still the Soviet Union.
But now have used their oil money as well as contacts with the likes of Iran and Syria to help blunt any progress we may see.
Hard to believe but ridding itself of the internal problems that the Stan countries and Eastern Europe countries and Cuba would be may have ultimately made Russia a stronger counrty.
Don't have to share its oil wealth.
"Hard to believe but ridding itself of the internal problems that the Stan countries and Eastern Europe countries and Cuba would be may have ultimately made Russia a stronger counrty."
It is quite interesting. I think Russia's government is analogous to a con man. They played the "great empire" scam until it ran out. Now they are beginning a new, fresh scam.
I don't claim to understand this side of it yet, but it seems like the role of Europe is really central in what Russia is doing now. Europe, with the exception of a few countries such as Poland and the Baltic states, seems quite enamored of Russia at this point.
The fact that the head of Germany left that job and went directly to work for Gazprom doesn't concern anyone in the least (in Europe or the United States, or so it seems). Personally, I believe everyone has underestimated the importance of the Stassi organization that the Russians built up in East Germany---people that the West German government left virtually untouched after unification. Remember, one out of three East Germans was serving as an informer for the government---at least part-time. This may well have been an all-time World's Record. Personally, I believe Merkle is under Russian influence---though that is just a guess and I cannot prove it. She emerged sort of from "nowhere", she is an East German, and she blew the election campaign to an almost unbelievable extent. Now, despite sending out vibrations that she is not getting along with the Russians, she is sitting in Russia and has just made a deal to have a gas pipeline go directly from Russia to Germany---something the Poles see as a stab in the back that potentially leaves them isolated in terms of energy. (The Poles wanted a gas pipeline to run through Poland.) Poland of course, is the most independent, anti-Russian, pro-American voice in Europe---a major Russian target.