Perhaps we should sell the Chechens anti-tanks rockets? Though that gets into an enemy of a friend of my enemy circular argument.
No matter. Putin putting in a flat tax doesn't make him our friend. It just makes him smarter than the French and Germans on economic issues.
It's a unified Korea that's the problem for Russia. Imagine the modern ROK military with NKPA numbers and WMD's. And look what's sitting there on their border with tons of ethnic Koreans -- Vladisvistok.
In mid-2002, births and deaths per 1,000 for Russia -- 9 and 16. For the US -- 15 and 9. The US has net immigration, Russia has net emigration. You're living in Soviet fantasy land if you think that some limited prosperity will reverse that to make a major difference. Communism destroyed morality in Russia which has allowed abortion and STD's to flourish at rates beyond anything in the West. Which is why Russia has a fertility rate of 1.3 compared to the 2.1 of the US.
Face it comrade, we've buried you.