---------------------------------------------------- It's the borders. States with flat land that is easily invaded are less inclined to be scrupulous. Still most states cut corners quite a bit. It is also sometimes style. Some of their diplomats have been untrained in the art of hypocrisy.

Other thoughts are that the character of the ruler works it's way down the chain sometimes and the servants of Czars and Commisars acted like their masters even when they were suppossed to be diplomats. Moreover the early Soviet Union was run by former terrorists not by aristocrats. Amusingly the Russians got it back later when they tried to negotiate with North Vietnamese. There's a lesson in there somewhere.