I guess youse damned commies won....

Russia and its ability to support a military, rise and fall on the performance of its economy. Just this week President Obama piled on some more sanctions. Western Europe is finding alternative energy sourcing because of the action Russia has and continues to do in Ukraine. Putin has enjoyed unprecedented power as he was the fortunate one to be in office in the mid 90s when oil income brought Russia from the brink of bankruptcy, and now they are spiraling out of control back into bankruptcy. Russia can and will be a rich and powerful player when it aligns itself with Western Europe and behaves like a Western democracy. The big money interests in Russia will tolerate Putin's failures for a little longer.