Can or Will Russia ever join the European Union?

Question

why or why not or why can they not?

Answer 1

No. Russian foreign policy is to build a multipolar international community. Lately, Russia tries to strengthen its relationships in Middle East, as well as orental Asia. Putin goes on many trips to different Asian conferences, as well as meets with different political players on Middle Eastern stage.

As of right now, Russia dominates in trade in former Soviet Union region, and if it manages to establish strong relationships with China, Korea and other Asian countries, there will be a strong alliance in Asia. The only problem is Japan. Russia has an unresolved territorial dispute with Japan since the WWII. So far, they do not even have a peace agreement. When Russia takes care of that, we will see a new superregion emerge.

As of Europe, Russia has a well established relationship with Germany, where it sells natural gas. Despite of many human rights scandals, Russia was able to negotiate many of its financial issues because of this relationship with Germany.  So, there is no point to join European Union.

Answer 2

They will have trouble qualifying in any real sense insofar as political rights go.  Unless they lock up the energy market and blackmail their way in, they will be outside for several more years.

Answer 3

I believe they will not only join it but run it !

Answer 4

who knows. Also that would be kinda hard to do because not all of russia is in europe. The majority of the country is in asia.

Answer 5

Depends. I don't think Russia particularly wants to join the EU at the moment, given its attempt to craft a distinct path in the international community in other areas. With its relatively well put-together industrial infrastructure and its economy reeling from Communism's collapse, Russia has enormous potential to re-invigorate itself by finding unique trading partners in Asia and the Near East and exclusively partnering with them. Its deals with China and Iran are certainly indicators of this this trend, as is its consistent "anti-Europe" stance on many diplomaitc issues it is privy to. Having to coordinate with the EU by complying with their accepted practice may seem like a hindrance more than an advantage, so there might be no incentive to join. The market share it could make up elsewhere might well undermine the unfettered access to the European market that EU membership entails.

On the flip side, the EU may have its doubts regarding the mebership of a country big enough to shift the internal balance within the EU hierarchy: It's one thing to bring in Estonia, with its limited involvement in international issues and relatively harmless independent policy; its another to bring in the "Eastern mammoth," to quote an old Sovietologist. Even though the EU is a pluralistic forum, there's no need to kid ourselves that Germany, France and (sometimes) the UK still dominate the EU's foreign policy agenda -- Russia may be an unwanted partner if its going to demand its particular say in these affairs.

Answer 6

They can't.  They are too big, so they're really an empire  Badly run but an empire. The EU, like the United States when it was started, linked groups that were more or less the same size and required their leaders to try to figure out how to 'federate"--to work together toward common goals. Look what's happened to the US because many states are far more than 6 million in population and the former nation 300 million instead of 6 million.

No, Russia will never join the EU and should not be considered, any more than India, China, Brazil or Thailand.

Answer 7

Russia is so huge. Russia's territory spans across Europe up to Asia. Will the EU which is solely composed of European nations ever allow any country whose territory also occupy parts of Asia?. If that is the case, then it cannot be called European Union anymore.