Serbia To Begin Negotiations To Join EU

[WestCoast]

Serbia will begin negotiations to join the EU starting December 14. The recent agreement between Serbia and Kosovo was the last remaining obstacle to Serbia's path to EU membership.

Also of note is that Kosovo and much of the former Yugoslavia are on the list of candidate countries for EU membership.

Serbia's choosing to join the EU rather than a trade alliance with Russia raises the question of why so many former eastern European countries are choosing the EU over Russia?

The former Yugoslavia while a communist country was not considered a Soviet satellite by some/many in the west and often played both sides, sometimes siding with the USSR and sometimes with the west. Will Serbia's choosing the EU over Russia irritate Putin? Will Putin institute sanctions against Serbia? 

[AvHdB]

Historically Serbia had a strong association with Russia.

I have read (and disagree) that the bombing of Serbia during the Kosovo war by NATO (led by the US) was a deep moral blow to Russia. Eventually a more balanced nation has grown that has indeed found a balance with its Western European member states. Think of it like something like what happened in the Baltic States.

Without doubt there are some of the old school but they wield little influence anymore. Serbia knows where its bread is buttered.

[WestCoast]

Historically Serbia had a strong association with Russia.

I have read (and disagree) that the bombing of Serbia during the Kosovo war by NATO (led by the US) was a deep moral blow to Russia. Eventually a more balanced nation has grown that has indeed found a balance with its Western European member states. Think of it like something like what happened in the Baltic States.

Without doubt there are some of the old school but they wield little influence anymore. Serbia knows where its bread is buttered.

Pretty much the reason I figured Serbia choose the EU over Russia, Serbia and its people will be better off with EU membership and trade, as has most of the former satellites of the USSR.

[Volshe]

I have read (and disagree) that the bombing of Serbia during the Kosovo war by NATO (led by the US) was a deep moral blow to Russia.

It was the very breaking point, when U turn was made in Russian foreign politics. Upon learning  of Yeltsin and Al Gore  telephone conversation then Prime Primakov, mid-flight over the Atlantic turns back the plane which was carrying him to the US, the rest is history.
Look, both Montenegrins and Serbs (Bulgarians too btw) consider Russians to be brothers. It's the the other way around too.
 Is that a result of 300y (in case of Monte) of coordinated official politics or it's because we speak similar languages and are (presumably) of same ethnic origin and (majority) of same religion, i don't know. Fact is that nowadays oftentimes leaders' anti-Russian statements do not reflect the feelings of common folks towards Russia and Russians.
Does official politics influence mass feelings? Over years, yes definitely. In my observation, official politics becomes majority's orientation.
Not so long ago (some 20y ago) many in Monte identified with Serbian people, language, culture. In less than 2 decades it's long forgotten past.
Older generations here can't really relate to the western values (most that is, non-radical intellectuals can of course), languages, culture and so on. New generations don't learn Russian language (it used to be obligatory once.) They have no idea about/ have zero interest in the culture. They speak English, watch MTV and Hollywood blockbusters. By default none of nations i am mentioning are overly religious, so relating on that base is vague too (not to forget we once shared an ideology which was much stronger than the religion.) Once it used to be prestigious to be schooled in Russia, it's UK/ USA/ Italy now.
I am interested myself where it will all go.
Once again, Russian/ Soviet influence was primarily based not on love towards Russian culture, but on ideology that promised equality. That ideology died. What now? 
(And no, i don't think American consumerism  is the answer, in fact, i don't know the answer.)

[AvHdB]

I have read (and disagree) that the bombing of Serbia during the Kosovo war by NATO (led by the US) was a deep moral blow to Russia.

It was the very breaking point, when U turn was made in Russian foreign politics. Upon learning  of Yeltsin and Al Gore  telephone conversation then Prime Primakov, mid-flight over the Atlantic turns back the plane which was carrying him to the US, the rest is history.
Look, both Montenegrins and Serbs (Bulgarians too btw) consider Russians to be brothers. It's the the other way around too.
 Is that a result of 300y (in case of Monte) of coordinated official politics or it's because we speak similar languages and are (presumably) of same ethnic origin and (majority) of same religion, i don't know. Fact is that nowadays oftentimes leaders' anti-Russian statements do not reflect the feelings of common folks towards Russia and Russians.
Does official politics influence mass feelings? Over years, yes definitely. In my observation, official politics becomes majority's orientation.
Not so long ago (some 20y ago) many in Monte identified with Serbian people, language, culture. In less than 2 decades it's long forgotten past.
Older generations here can't really relate to the western values (most that is, non-radical intellectuals can of course), languages, culture and so on. New generations don't learn Russian language (it used to be obligatory once.) They have no idea about/ have zero interest in the culture. They speak English, watch MTV and Hollywood blockbusters. By default none of nations i am mentioning are overly religious, so relating on that base is vague too (not to forget we once shared an ideology which was much stronger than the religion.) Once it used to be prestigious to be schooled in Russia, it's UK/ USA/ Italy now.
I am interested myself where it will all go.
Once again, Russian/ Soviet influence was primarily based not on love towards Russian culture, but on ideology that promised equality. That ideology died. What now? 
(And no, i don't think American consumerism  is the answer, in fact, i don't know the answer.)

Without doubt American consumerism is not the future. Nor is the stupidio's philosophy that the West is the future.

The reality on one side the West is Bankrupt and on the other side so is Russia.

The painful reality is this is the not the fault of the common people (who on both sides are basically good), but the leaders following ideologies that are still archaic and imperialistic.