When the Russians gave up the Soviet Union and showed up at the capitalist dinner, they discovered they were on the menu, not the guest list.

Putin started out as a quiet little bureaucrat, whom the oligarchs figured would make a good seat warmer, after Yelsin. That he turned out to be a Russian patriot was a complete surprise to everyone, even many of the Russians.

Basically, having followed the news as closely as possible, for the last 50 years, I try avoid debates over the details and stick to the abstracts, given most people are swimming in seas of propaganda and indoctrination.

https://medium.com/@johnbrodixmerrymanjr/the-rise-and-fall-of-the-western-mind-906dc73cffe2