I take it you've never been to any "Eastern" countries, and rely on your local media for your warped view. The standard of living in the baltics, for instance, has grown enormously over the last decade - to the extent that I am considering moving from the UK to Vilnius.

Wages are lower, yes, but so is the cost of goods and services. Now that they have functioning service economies, wage inflation is happening, in lockstep with price inflation. Parity happens quickly once you get the basics (infrastructure etc.) in place, which has been much of where investment has sat over the last decades.

Investment is the key word here - it's a rash investor who wants his return on a venture before it reaches fruition.

Also - would you rather they were getting cozy with Russia?