Russia lost any credibility when they conducted their ham-handed and cowardly invasion of Ukraine in 2014.
Its worth repeating: 2014 was a CIA color-revolution and coup, which deposed a duly-elected President. That President happened to be favorable to Russia, so of course, the neocons in DC and their puppet Obama had to remove him.
“Russia lost any credibility when they conducted their ham-handed and cowardly invasion of Ukraine in 2014.”
Well, depends on what you mean by credibility.
Russia showed its credibility when it opposed Georgia’s flirtation with NATO and invaded the latter in 2008 (its steadfast position was that former Soviet states cannot join the West); but it lost it when it said Georgia had the right to determine its own destiny (of course, it was okay if that destiny was pro-Russia).
Putin plays both sides of the coin, first one, then the other; and he manipulates each according to circumstances. He responds to opportunity; but to trust him is to court disaster. Putin is KGB, through and through; and he is ruthless. Putin is the son that Stalin wishes he had had (instead of the disappointing Yakov).