Again, under Putin as of right now with their poor performing economy the Russians are still living better and more freer than they have ever lived ever in recorded memory (or slightly less free but more rich then when Yeltsin ruled).
Once you ponder this fact then you can move on with your assessment of modern Russia and why Putin is seen differently at home and by border states than he is in the west.
Why is it, that Putin is looking outside Russia to keep his population engaged with something other than their current situation?
For years now, American analysts have postulated that because their economy is so tied to natural recourses and not banking, or intellectual property, that their only recourse was to sell weapons systems, and take additional manufacturing regions that once were part of the USSR but have since gone independent.
They, the Russian govt. spends most of their time now disturbing the peace in their one time holdings in a effort to get them back and take some of the debt load off of the reserves which are dwindling fast.
There is no modern Russia.
It's the same as it always has been. State controlled. Inefficient. And periodically broke and in crisis. But they know how to control it in terms of the populace.
Cheap vodka and nationalism.
BTW.....
Obama apparently studies what the Russians and Chinese do to keep their populace from turning against the government.
This is why the democrats are today refraining from adding more sin taxes, and they are also ignoring laws designed to curb illegal drug use.
Gambling, prostitution and porn also have been largely ignored..
What’s good for the goose is also good for the gander.