You don't partner with nations by forcing them into a corner. That's not partnership, that's conquest. The USSR lost the cold war. The fact that they want to h

You don't partner with nations by forcing them into a corner. That's not partnership, that's conquest. The USSR lost the cold war. The fact that they want to have their cake and eat it too is the root of the issue. The compromise to be admitted into the western system is actually pretty mild, and there are many strong nations within the western framework. Russia would have no problems operating on a similar level as Japan or France if they gave up their desire for geopolitical hegemony.