Greece largely benefited from being in the European Union long before the eurozone. They relied on free money way too much. You dont build a developed economy with olive oil and tourism.

I can only really see how it worked for m country (Poland). And basing on that evidence - yes it does. The disadvantages are minor compared to the advantages.

It is no need of roses. But preferable to being in the Russian sphere of influence.

To play devil's (or should I say Putin's :P ) advocate for a second, there are non-quantifiable properties of life beyond money. Russians treat their culture as sacred and would give (and have given) up a great deal to preserve it. Its still kind of hard to wrap my mind around it. The communist fought tooth and nail to try to rid the different soviet states of it, but it persevered.

There is an unquantifiable property that Russia holds dear. It can take the blows and as long as people have jobs and are fed, most are content with the life they have and unless the money comes from a Russian source (natural resources or something else), they fear that it will destroy their culture.

Are you saying Ukrainians are Russian? Even the ones who are tend to proclaim this position from the comfort of being outside of Russia.

And I meant to write "no bed of roses."

  Russians treat their culture as sacred

I cannot even begin to understand what it means. Could you clarify please?