It is important also to note that Western journalists and economists consistently undervaluate the size and power of the Russian economy. One needs to consider PPP - Purchase Power Parity. Russians have a very good quality of life and their economy is actually much larger than often stated, and is more like the economy of Germany than anything else. Also, due to the nature of their resource led exports, Russia plays a much larger and more important role in the global economy than the West admits.