Considering current geopolitical tensions, without Putin, Russia would fall apart.
Tsars are not important. Nations are. Actions of Russian nation will determine your future fate. And remember a number one rule: You reap what you sow You Russians must stop going the direction you are heading. the current road or Moscow will be like 1945 Berlin. Wake up.
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Subdue to the mighty masters, my friendly slave. Don't be a rebel. They provide us food and cover, but they will kill us, if we do something against us. So keep calm.
Forget you have enough nukes to destroy the whole civilised world, so, generally speaking, you have chances to fight back and provide cover people, same as you. Provoked by the West? What do you mean? Chronology:
1) Ukrainian people overthrew a very crappy government in a bloody revolution
2) "Brothers" attacked us in a moment of weakness to annex a part of our territory
3) We gave up a piece of territory without resistance because we never wanted a war
4) Russia moved further aiming to get even more territory
My version of the chronology:
0) We're busy with winter olympics, not willing to do anything.
1) Ukrainian people overthrew a very crappy government in a
West-aided bloody revolution. And installed a pro-western government, that started to do all the hostile things, like banning Russian language and not joining EEC.
2) If Ukraine stayed neutral in the West-Russia tension, we would agree. But seeing your country falling away from the equilibrium, we had to act and took over Crimea. Anyway, you would expell our fleet out of there, considering the political course.
3) Ukraine gave up a piece of territory without resistance because we never wanted a war (and your western masters didn't expect this to happen
4) Russia moved further aiming to get even more territory
Considering sanctions, it would be hard for us. But we will do it. And our enemies will not directly attack us, being afraid of provoking a nuclear war.
Thus the weapon of choice against Russia, as in Soviet times, is
informational war and
propaganda. You, UR, as you know, is a soldier in this
infowar.