Perhaps so, but Russia is a very, very long way from Western traditions of classical liberalism. It is still bonded to an ancient model of authoritarian imperialism, not enough unlike the Mongols who taught Moscow in medieval times to be in any way a good neighbor.
But this should make a good counterpoint to Ion Mihai Pacepa’s view that Russia was perpetrating a strategic deception, but was cryptically below the surface still trying to advance communism.