Max, Russia has been building its internal market. There were a lot of Western companies, from GE and Westinghouse to Pepsico to McDonald's and Starbucks, who had invested in Russia. They pulled out, and Russian oligarchs stepped in.
I am surprised that you have fallen into the "Russia doesn't make anything" propaganda narrative. If nothing else, Russian armaments, whether the 6th Gen SU 57 stealth fighter, the hypersonic Kalibr and Kinzahl missiles, or the T-90 battle tank, are all far superior to anything NATO has. Likewise the SU-400 air defence system puts the US Patriot system to shame, as well as the Russian EW and ISR technologies.
Do I need to remind you who had to rescue the US astronauts from the ISS?
In fact, for the past decades, every time an American wanted to go to the ISS they had to beg a ride from the Russians.
You need to look at the trade that is happening between Russia and China and Russia and India. It is truly impressive. BRICS is a real thing, and growing fast.
I cannot believe that you still harbour that delusional dream that Putin will be overthrown, and that Russia will once more descend into chaos, ripe for plunder again by Western carpetbaggers as it was in the 1990's. Sorry, Max, that ain't gonna happen. Putin is there to stay, and so is the new Russian economy.
Max, I really suggest you read my piece: "How the West Descended Into Idiocy".
