This sounds completely out of touch. Russia is not North Korea, people there do have an idea what life in the West is like. Public support for Russian expansionism isn’t driven by fear of NATO or EU, it’s driven by spite, jealousy and nostalgia for Czarist/Soviet glory days. The scheme you propose would be perceived as a taunt, or even an insult.
Keep in mind that I do support a more open immigration policy for Russian deserters and citizens alike to further lower morale and brain-drain (I haven’t heard any good counter-arguments thus far). The difference is, even if your scheme works out, Russians in Russia having a higher opinion of the EU doesn’t affect Russian state capacity, Russians simply not being in Russia any more does, regardless of what opinions they hold.
This sounds completely out of touch. Russia is not North Korea, people there do have an idea what life in the West is like. Public support for Russian expansionism isn’t driven by fear of NATO or EU, it’s driven by spite, jealousy and nostalgia for Czarist/Soviet glory days. The scheme you propose would be perceived as a taunt, or even an insult.
Keep in mind that I do support a more open immigration policy for Russian deserters and citizens alike to further lower morale and brain-drain (I haven’t heard any good counter-arguments thus far). The difference is, even if your scheme works out, Russians in Russia having a higher opinion of the EU doesn’t affect Russian state capacity, Russians simply not being in Russia any more does, regardless of what opinions they hold.
As far as I know about 70% people in Russia don’t have an international passport. And I think many people who have it visited only Egypt or Turkey.