It can be argued that Communist Russia was Czarist Russia with less food and with post-communist Russia we are back to Czarist Russia without the titles.
Russia really does not change.
They have been playing "The Great Game" for a thousand years now. They are not the West, they are not the East. They are themselves. And while our interests may run in tandem for a while you should never turn your back on them or expect them to keep their word unless it is to their advantage.
In some ways they are much like China.
“And while our interests may run in tandem for a while you should never turn your back on them or expect them to keep their word unless it is to their advantage.”
Thank goodness we don’t act like that around the world.