>But the journalists present this story as Russia's voluntary step towards isolating itself from the global internet. I am not sure why.
Because Russia is the bad guy du jour... They have to gal to try to not sell their country and assets wholesale to foreign interests, plus something kleptocracy something (which the West never minds when it comes to allies, or their own behaviour in Asia, L. America, Africa, etc).
So you get the usual barrage or news items, and people who can't even point Europe on the map (much less such subtlety as to point to e.g. France or Russia) feel like they can have an opinion.
Because Russia is the bad guy du jour... They have to gal to try to not sell their country and assets wholesale to foreign interests, plus something kleptocracy something (which the West never minds when it comes to allies, or their own behaviour in Asia, L. America, Africa, etc).
So you get the usual barrage or news items, and people who can't even point Europe on the map (much less such subtlety as to point to e.g. France or Russia) feel like they can have an opinion.