In a world with tightly regulated Internet this might start making sense. Tor and its traffic won't make it through AI-assisted censorship systems like China's GFW and Russia's whatever-it's-called-but-they've-started-breaking-everything-here. While a portal managed by foreign superpower's government might be allowed simply because of diplomatic pressure.
Not too different from how radio became regulated all over the world.
It's a shame, but what can you do. We are not demiurges, we are grains of sand flying with the wind and floating with the current. Sometimes we get melted, sometimes split, sometimes wet, cold, hot.
I'm not ashamed of dreaming of a different future and arguing in favor of it many years ago. But I'm also not ashamed to admit I was likely wrong.