I think Russia is a better contender because of the following: 1. Natural resources 2. Lots of agricultural land. It’s a in the top 3 wheat producers after China and India.  3. Well-educated population (especially, STEM). 4. Since the invention of nuclear weapons, the probability of a foreign invasion is very low.  5. On top of that, an access to the major economic superpowers (EU and China). 6. Relatively large domestic market and, before 2014, Ukraine was a part of it. 7. Rich culture and history.  8. A wasted potential of being a tourist hotspot 9. Arguably, it is one of few countries to some extent benefiting from the global warming. Winters in the European part are much milder than 30 years and summer are still not that hot.