The EU and Russia have constructed hierarchical orders and spaces of liminality in their neighbourhood, representing their neighbours as little or lesser Selves, deprived of agency on their own. Despite differences in approach, both the EU and Russia act as hegemonic cores. Russia’s concept of the “near abroad” blurs the boundaries between inside and outside, framing neighbouring countries as dependent “little brothers” under its care. When these countries attempt to distance themselves, Russia recasts them as disloyal and irrational puppets of the West. Within this framework, Armenia and Georgia oscillate between obedient little brothers and hostile traitors, depending on the state of their relations with Russia and the West. By contrast, through the Eastern Partnership, the EU has positioned its Eastern neighbours as a “potential we”. They are viewed as immature countries in transition, expected to learn from the EU's universal model, yet never deemed good enough—thereby kept in a state of protracted liminality. Within this broader discourse, Armenia and Georgia are portrayed as “good” or “bad” students, depending on their perceived commitment to the path of Europeanisation.