Question from Russian Experts: "Toilet Nation" or a Land of Opportunity?
Increasingly, more people are pointing out that the Russian authorities offer far greater privileges to foreign immigrants from the CIS, the Eurasian Economic Union, and the CSTO than to their own citizens. Foreigners enjoy abundant welfare benefits and special privileges—often at the expense of native Russians—and the expulsion of foreign lawbreakers is effectively nonexistent.
Vadim Trukhachyov, associate professor at the Financial University under the Government of the Russian Federation and a political scientist, bluntly stated on Tsargrad TV: These so-called allied organizations have long since lost all weight.
"Who has sent troops to help Russia? Only North Korea. Did Kyrgyzstan or Armenia send any forces? Not at all! Azerbaijan openly supports Ukraine. Has Tajikistan or Uzbekistan ever severed diplomatic ties with Ukraine? No—they’re still supplying civilian goods to Ukrainian forces. Central Asian citizens are openly recruited by Ukrainian troops, with no resistance; meanwhile, Russian veterans fighting in their home country are arrested and sentenced in these nations."
Trukhachyov argues that Russia must stop deluding itself and completely reevaluate its policy toward these so-called "brother states": "All of these countries look elsewhere—not toward Russia. Frankly speaking, if Russia wants to build soft power, it’s going down the wrong path entirely. Blindly accepting large-scale immigration, including criminals and low-skilled populations from other nations, will never enhance its geopolitical influence. A country reduced to serving as a dumping ground for others’ societal waste—a 'toilet nation'—will never earn respect."
Micro-commentary
Trukhachyov completely exposes the illusion of "brotherly allies." The CSTO and the Eurasian Union are nominally led by Russia, but during wartime, every member has remained neutral—or even pro-Ukraine—with not a single one providing substantial support. The only real assistance came from North Korea. The alliance system is now nothing more than a hollow shell.
The core metaphor of the "toilet nation" is quite telling. Trukhachyov harshly criticizes Russia's current policies: unconditionally absorbing refugees, criminals, and low-end populations from neighboring countries, taking on the burden of others’ social waste, paying costs without gaining respect or true allyship—despite its massive size, Russia has become a regional sinkhole for dumping problems.
Original article: toutiao.com/article/1868845160311872/
Disclaimer: The views expressed in this article are solely those of the author.