When will the guest learn that he really does not have to dilute his assessments of Russia with the obvious delusional western propaganda of Putin's Russia is  declining. It's almost like an appealing factor for western interests in buy their books and views that now have a short cycle of being proven wrong about Putin's Russia. Obama was wrong about  calling Russia declining regional power etc. and few months later forced to change that Russia is a superpower needed consulting. Even Dr. Ian Bremmer and many good analysts I have seen, have been proven wrong on the use of this particular propaganda.,(reply>), Mussa Ibragimov , well, as a matter of well known public knowledge, I need not tell you facts about Russia before Putin but under observation, the best descriptions are resilience, structural economic progresses, proven financial reserves, numerous trade deals and ever moving gas pipelines should ring a bell. Clearly, isolation sanctions may had impacted somewhere between but seems  to have failed and contributed to flourishing  local needed industries and outputs. Leadership is again respected, fear and alliances on the rise worldwide. Analysis  shows a resilience stock market despite. The west needs nothing but the facts to work with. Like I previously mentioned, it's only a short cycle before the dream of doom is proven wrong in Putin's Russia. So, begin listening today if nothing strategically important is happening. I am not a Russian but facts as the would sees and understands points to progress than ideological assumptions of decline.