The EU now is like the old USSR's big government (aristocracy), trying to control every aspect of individual life. That's why Putin is so jealous, mainly because most of Eastern Europe would prefer never to come back to the USSR system. The way I interpret all that is through the lenses of "Softwar: A Novel Theory on Power Projection and the National Strategic Significance of Bitcoin" (Department System Design and Management Program - MIT - https://dspace.mit.edu/handle/1721.1/153030), which suggests it's all about "Real Power, Abstract Power."