Is Russia Weak?
Russia has put down uprisings and insurgencies within its own borders and in the post-Soviet space as far away as Tajikistan, and it can influence US security strategy worldwide. So why do so many Westerners persist in calling Russia "weak"?
https://prosyn.org/LXEviUx
MOSCOW – Western leaders and observers persistently repeat, like a mantra, that Russia is “weak.” This judgment is based on a flawed comparison between Russia and the Soviet Union –though one that is also popular in Russia itself.