Looks to me like Russia’s Putin has been attempting to “change” Russia people from the old USSR....rather like Obama’s been attempting to “change” this nation’s people to something it’s not but what he wants it to be.
They both are dealing with “generations” who continue to see their country as it was, and the younger generations who want a different country...
It takes years and a change in the generations to pivot a country’s people to “think” differently. Obama’s doig it by focusing on the youth via educating them to think as he does...Putin is trying to satisfy both generations enough to bring them forward....neither is doing that very well...though Obam’s much more organized to bring it about in our country.
Putin is the same ol same ol, and is trying to reassemble the empire.