FWIW, I am not actually disagreeing with you. EU membership is a cumbersome, LONG process. Leaving the EU for the UK was equally as long and cumbersome. You’re not wrong that there are established processes and you can’t just wave a wand and change the rules, even if there was the political will.
The turnstile in this case is the rule of law and the government processes. Russia jumped the turnstile when it decided Crimea was now a “protectorate” (not sure on the official language). Same with the eastern provinces. There were no forms filed or treaty to draw up new borders or an exhaustive paper on the economic impacts of such a move - it was just done.
You’re right the EU can’t really just break protocol - but it IS an examples that “Politicians, bureaucrats, ambassadors, and government officials are all hindered by procedure, rule of law, and traditions” They can’t take radical, decisive, unilateral actions because that just isn’t how the system is setup/organized.
