The Russian people have a positive attitude toward Europe and welcome the development of close relations with the EU, recent public opinion polls indicate. However, many Russians believe that Russia is not, strictly speaking, a European country; others perceive Europe’s desire to cooperate with Russia as a result of its dependence on Russian natural resources.
The Russian people have a positive attitude toward Europe and welcome the development of close relations with the EU, recent public opinion polls indicate. However, many Russians believe that Russia is not, strictly speaking, a European country; others perceive Europe’s desire to cooperate with Russia as a result of its dependence on Russian natural resources.
When the Baltic countries entered NATO and the European Union a couple of years ago, many thought it was the end of the centuries-old "red line." Euro-Atlantic organizations had crossed into the former Russian and Soviet empires.
In September 2004, the Russian city of Novgorod hosted an international conference entitled Russia at the Turn of the Century: Hopes and Reality. Its organizers were the RIA Novosti news agency, the Council on Foreign and Defense Policy, Russia in Global Affairs, and The Moscow Times.