Let's put it this way, they never engaged or been at war with each other, they're both super-powers trying to keep their political spheres.
ROFLMAO.... So perhaps we should now call your poverty stricken nation (Ukraine) a superpower. The defense sector is a major revenue earner for Russia. It employs millions of Russians and a large part of the GDP comes from the export of defense equipment.
And thats why russia is just a regional power. All they do is sell weapons and oil.
Oil prices nearly bankrupted russia.
If there wasnt syria they wouldnt even be able to sell their weapons.