1. Referring to a statement made by Ursula von der Leyen's spokesperson Paula Pinho of March 2025

(“We are honored with the results of such a poll. It shows the attractiveness of the European Union, and it shows the appreciation of a very large share of Canadian citizens for the EU and its values,” said Paula Pinho, spokesperson for European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen, at the Commission’s Wednesday briefing, before adding that she “will not go into” a possible EU application from Ottawa.")

2. The extremely delayed reaction and infighting in European politics and society during what is essentially a code red / five alarm fire in the Russian invasion of Ukraine, has shown that many countries in the EU are willing to sacrifice another for time rather than face the reality that the EU and their way of life is directley being threatened, thus why we're seeing many countries in the EU having chosen to sit on their hands and wait, for YEARS at this point when the prospect of a third world war is closer than any other point in history other than the cuban missile crisis. When the chips are down, the EU for the longest time showed itself to be one that would rather point fingers, delay, and sacrifice others on the altar.

Polish farmers blocking NATO weapon shipments and railways to a critical combat theatre over a dispute with European markets and Ukrainian Grain, Hungarian vetos blocking EU financial packages to Ukraine, Ukraine has very much become a litmus test for countless issues worldwide, everything from testing the strength of alliances and unions, to testing the rationality and morality of individual people. and the EU has been taking one step forward one step back for much of it, It took them until the US basically took a turn into a terminal illness of fascism, for the major power players, namely France and Germany, to step forward and acknowledge that there can't be anymoe of this sitting on hands they played for the last 3-5 years as our world swirls the toilet bowl

in short, Yes, those eastern countries get subsidies, but its increasingly being seen as a bribe from one side to the other to keep them on the blue team. while hostile actors like the states with the parties I mentioned, just pocket the money while playing interference for the Russian mob state.___