“We’re not worried about EU enlargement” was the message a top aide to Russian President Vladimir Putin delivered to European leaders here at the European Economic Summit in Warsaw.

If you are Russian, would you agree? I’m not Russian, I’ve never been there and I’m curious to learn their perspective on enlargement.

You see, 8 of the 10 new EU members were former Soviet Republics and communist countries – now they’re taking a BIG step towards Western Europe, Nato and the US. Is Moscow irritated? Quaking in its boots?

“Our only concern about the expansion of the European Union is that it should not result in the emergence on its territory of second grade citizens deprived of many rights and freedoms on the basis of their ethnicity,” is what Sergei Yastrzhembsky, an aide to Putin, said.

“Russia regards the expansion of the European Union as a good thing, positive for Russia,” he declared. ”Indeed, this process leads to the expansion of the zone of stability and promotes the development of democracy and the adoption of European legal standards in the states immediately bordering Russia.” (Read the full session summary)

One Polish woman told me that Russia is seriously concerned.

“Their sphere of influence is all of sudden being taken away from them. In their mind, they would like to have the good old days back.”

And then there’s question of Nato. “The Polish buffer is disappearing, and now Nato troops can come right up to the border with Russia,” she said.

But these “buffer states” should be happy that they’re no longer sandwiched between opposing systems, or world powers.

If you’re from an accession state or Russia, are you happy about what’s going to happen on 1 May?