Russia is in a vastly better position to survive a nuclear war than America is.
No one is "in a vastly better position" to survive a nuclear war.
A single "Ohio Class" sub, like the USS Alaska, could destroy half of the major cities in Russia.
What do you think "survival of a nuclear war" would be like?
No power grids, no internet, no delivered water or fuel, food would expire within weeks, blind and deaf people would stumble and die in the streets.
Who wants to survive for a few weeks {months} in that kind of hell hole?
The luckiest people would be those at ground zero, the "survivors" would wish that they had died in the initial blasts.
Better position?
You can have it, I'll take the big bang.
Maybe so, but with Moscow glowing in the dark, there will be a LOT of vying for power in Russia.