“” “” I don’t think it’s possible to be friends with Russians, not anymore. Thought 1991 was a sea change. Putin has proven otherwise; Russians prefer a strongman to democracy.”” “”
That is only true in case you share Bush II vision of democracy: ‘An Iraqi style’. The so called ‘Imrerialistic ambitions’ are nothing but a wish to live normal lives like people in any other nation without limits imposed by foreign powers.
The Iraqi style democracy failed them in it.
You haven’t addressed Russians’ preference for centralized rule, going back to the Tsars.
“If only we could tell our problems to the Tsar, then everything would be all right!”