Indeed, should russia resolve its birth rate problem and get back on track building a legitimate economy that is not solely dependent on resource export, they have almost infinite potential growth.
Siberia is a treasure trove of everything, assuming they can somehow resolve the issue of livability in those regions. The vastness of those regions can only be matched in the world if US merges with Canada in the future and opens up canada's northern regions to inhabitation and resource management.
Russia right now is getting back on its feet after decades of political instability nevermind national depression after USSR. As a western citizen, I do understand that Russians can be belligerent and not easy to get along with - but we must understand that russians in the end are fundamentally concerned with preservation of their people and their state. Many of its ills are not only social and cultural, but also in large part connected to the influx of foreign criminals with direct links to criminal groups in Caucasus, such as Azerbaijani and georgian as well as chechens. Local criminal groups are directly linked to the government, but these foreign groups are rampant and respect no russians.
I do know that there are many russian trolls in these forums, some paid off by the state. If their idea is to vilinize the west with trifling threads such as 'west is gearing up to attack russia', I can guarentee that no western leader is day dreaming about goose step marching down the red square. Western response to russian actions are largely reactive and defensive - why else would a 'imperialistic' power set up military bases around russian border nations and merely wait?
The fundamental idea behind western posture towards russia is one of wariness and mistrust, not out right aggression or violent militarism. We try to contain or other wise hinder russia when it seems they are becoming belligerent and invasive (annexaction of crimea), but the posture is a defensive one, not rape pillage and kill.
Given russian history, it is understandable that they are belligerent towards perceived threats. However, the ongoing rivalry between west and russia is counterproductive to both sides who will in the future increasingly find themselves arrayed against same enemies, on a cultural and racial level. Actually, they already are.
It's time to flip the chess board around and change west-russian relations for the better. No one looks at Russians and think 'oh I see an Asian/Middle Easterner/African/non-white'. Russia must understand that western mentality against russia is primarily defensive and reactive, and also realize (probably already do but foolishly thinks they can take advantage of the west for long) that their chief historical and real enemy lies to the south and east.
Russians have a long proud history of destroying invaders and defending itself against threats. I can respect their unique tenacity and will, but I do believe that it is being leveled in a very counter productive and wrong direction, one that will ultimately leave russia alone and isolated against increasingly violent non-western enemies.
I do hope that in the future we Americans and Russians can come to see eye to eye and sit on the same table, if not as friends or allies, then at least as associates with more common interests than not. Future demands that it be so, because the world will not hesitate to take advantage of west-russian tit for tat infantile wrangling to advance its own racial and cultural goals that are decidedly anti-western and anti-russian.
You make some good point, but also got power dynamics upside down
Repeatedly, russian nations aspired to be accepted by the west, due to shared culture, religion and yes, even race. How have that ended up for Russians?
In 13th century western Crusaders and Poles backstabbed and occupied modern day western Ukraine and Belarus, while the rest of the nation faced genocide from Mongolic Empire.
In 17th century just after finally subduing eastern Nomads, the ruling dynasty in Russia died out, again Westerners attacked from west and north. Poles burned down Moscow.
In 18th century resurgent Russia saw itself as Third Rome (after collapse of Byzantines at the hand of Turks) and protectors of all Christians, educated Russians considered it norm to speak and write in French (as natural successor of latin). Shortly thereafter Moscow was burned down by Napoleon.
In early 20th century basically the same story repeated again, when Germans (whose culture was again adored as opposed to plebean "muzhik" nature of rural Russians) exported Jew-Kalmyk Lenin into war torn country, raping it internally for generations to come.
And I am not even getting into cold war or attempts at dissecting Russia in the nineties from Anglosaxons. As Madeleine Albright (Czech-jewish American), then Secretary of State under Bill Clinton have said: "Russia is way too large to by ruled by single nation." Thats how Westerners treat their partners
You already saw open, extended hand of Russia and every time you ended up pissing all over it.
Even, as non-Russian I see clearly, that from their viewpoint Chinese are more reliable and honest partners.
You mention instances where west initiated invasions of russia - but putting nazi's aside (ones that entirety of the west banded together to eliminate), rest are by products of middle ages and factors that went along with it - religion, primarily.
No one today is expecting the pontiff of rome or, by some bizarre reasoning, protestant groups to initiate a crusade to purge the 'heretics' of russian orthodoxy. This is actually a factor that is overshadowed when people speak of west-russian rivalry. Major historical source of enmity is gone.
More importantly, no western country wanted or succeeded in subjugating or ruling over russia and russian people for a simple reason: Their actions are primarily motivated by wariness of a large, imposing russian nation right on their borders with far greater manpower than any single or group of smaller european nation. This does not justify the invasions - but I am sure russians understand the sentiment of wariness that comes with having a potential threat on their borders to say the least.
You mentioned that russian wanted to be accepted and respected by the west, and that they strive to absorb western ways and culture. While the fact that they strove to learn western ways are true, their primary motive is same as anyone: To absorb what needs to be learned and strengthen their own position. More to the point, the belligerence and outwardly threatening and posturing behavior regardless of their fetish for german machines/french wine and literature/english lifestyle, etc etc obviously concerns the west far more, as it should be for any nation.
In essence, Russia is attempt to approach and create rapport purely on its own terms, while true exchange and rapport can only be created when both sides make certain compromises and reach an understanding of mutual common ground. Russia's greatest damage and carnage came not from the west on a fundamental level, because no matter how many hostilities commenced, aside from deranged nazis no one was truly dreaming of completely subjugating russia and killing off all russians. Now, the racial enemies to the east and south have no such scruples. How many russians and ukrainians where kidnapped by tartar raids to be enslaved? No one needs to even mention the threats of tamerlane and mongolic empire that almost completely trampled over russian people and many say irreparably damaged russian psyche at a fundamental level.
From russian historical point of view, west could indeed be viewed as legitimate enemies. However, you fail to mention that no western power held/wanted to hold russian under its yoke for the simple reason that fundamental thinking is different from that of rampaging enemies to the east and south - it is born out of caution and reactive hostility. Whether they succeeded in burning down moscow several times does not change the fact that they made little attempt to subjugate russia as a whole or commit genocide on a whole scale aside from nazis.
Why do I insist upon this view point, despite the historical evidences you point out? Because many soviet diplomats to the west have also made similar observations upon their return to the motherland after serving overseas - that the fundamental western approach to russia is born out of caution and wariness, not the kind of subjugation tyranny that were born from the east and south of russia. No matter the scale of hostilities in the past, the fundamental difference in mentality means that russia has far better future walking side by side with the west rather than continuously expressing hostility towards those who by world's standards are cousins.
It is agreed that west must also take a few steps to accept russians for who they are and start respecting their culture, as much as russians have. However, russian infantile behavior in reactive nationalism and general belligerence when dealing with the west, while meekly following along the leads of china and other non-western nations makes this difficult to respect from western point of view. Ignore for the moment all the mouthy liberals in the west - trust me a lot of westerners agree in public and hold quiet but fierce disdain for such people in private. The key point is that russia is too stubborn in counterproductive fashion when dealing with the west, wholly conciliatory and sometimes even seemingly supine towards those in the east and south who want to use and kill russians on racial and cultural level. This creates the impression that russian ultimately only respect brutality and strength - thus creating an enemy of russia rather than a potential ally. Conflict between west and russia is virtually one of fraternal conflict - closer you are, greater the damage, but in the end, no one can deny the relatively close relations between west and russia both culturally and racially.
Russian bitterness towards west for supposedly unreciprocated affection (why the fck does this start to sound like a woman pining for her ideal suitor) is understandable, but only if one considers russian position and that only. This insistence on doing things purely on russian terms is absolutely necessary for survival and victory - but not when you are trying to make friends or associates. At the same time, russia should never surrender who it is just to fit in - a combination of firm statement on uncompromising russian identity combined with willingness to accept west as a partner for who it is; this is what is needed. Given that russia is taking over someone's home and generally being hostile towards the west at the moment while seemingly bowing to chinese influence - because chinese are russian's cultural and racial enemies, makes this very very difficult for the west to regard russia as anything other than opportunistic enemies.
Future demands thus: That Russia revive itself and preserve its identity and strength, and at the same time, have the big enough heart and wisdom to accept west for what it is and consider the west as partners and associates to begin with, if not friends. Same is true for the west. No one should be thinking russia is absorbed in western culture - because russia is uniquely strong and reliable in its own way BECAUSE it is russian. Many in the west are beginning to see this, and you will find many former military officials in the west not so secretly holding a sense of nostalgia when soviet union was a 'reliable' rival - stubborn and hostile, but honorable and straightforward in its own strange way.
Chinese as reliable and honest? LOL
With respect to russian 'wisdom' in that regard, they are severely mistaken. I hope the silvonik ruling class are aware of this error in russia - and take steps to reach out to potential allies in the west with similar view points and common goals.