I have always felt that Russia has not taken up its true position as
a European country. Its weak democracy is ruled by a would be Stalimist.
Imagine what a difference it would make to Europe's standing if Russia
was a full European, but not necessarily a member of the EU itself.
Peter the Great's dream !
Until Putin retires or dies nothing is likely to change.
The KGB still seems to be all powerful.

A great, well balanced, review article.

Arguably Stalin was more Asiatic, as he was from Georgia, in the Caucasus, rather than from Europe. Hence he had the outlook and behaved more like an Eastern Emperor than a European ruler.

But Stalin was also part of the post Catherine the Great Russian trend of Tsars, Communist rulers and Putin moving Russia away from Europe. Instead they had/have a mixed fear-loathing-ignorance-envy complex of the Democratic West (including the US).

Russia also fears the rapidly growing economic and military power of its (long border) neighbour China. There is no post Communist Russia-China monolith. The Russia-China strategic understanding (short of an alliance) runs shallow and is only temporarily based on being enemies in common of the West (especially of Japan and the US).

Pete
http://gentleseas.blogspot.com/

I don't give a damn what anyone says, Vladimir Putin is a good ruler, there should be more like him & most of the nonsense going on in the world would cease !
You got to be cruel to be kind, that's all there's to it !

Individual,

Not all Russians would agree with you.

Certainly not Alexi Navalny!