Misplaced nationalistic pride, pure an simple. As some of said this would probably go further towards hurting their national program than helping it in the long run.
Maybe instead of making new laws, and constantly being poor sports, it's up to Russia to make it's country and programs desirable instead of just whining and bullying it's neighbours. You know, build a good league through strong business practices and funding of it's sports programs. Pretty sure they still get lots of funding for hockey programs from Canada and the States. Yet they bitch and moan constantly. Build a good league, don't take shortcuts with the mob and a handful of dictator like autocrats.
But that's been Russia's MO since Putin has been in charge. Blind nationalistic pride, while falling down all the same economic traps that Communism brought about. Besides a handful of amazingly rich oligarchs things have been moving backwards for some time. Kinda sad, I thought after the wall fell and union broke, having good leaders like Gorbachev and Yeltsin, Russia might become the new Japan or Germany. Former foes who become a economic leader again, but as a true world partner this time.
Sadly, Putin has completely flipped and torpedoed that possibility.
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