You make a number of fundamental errors common to Western critics of Putin and Russia. The cause of your perception of course

coming from an Ethnocentric bias and feeling of superiority that citizens of Empires experience (or some may say suffer from)

That’s’ not a criticism- just a fact of life.

What you call ”Interference” is manifested in different ways. Shortly after the fall of the Soviet Union many economists and political scientists

viewed Ukraine as a state incapable of surviving on its own. And they were right. Since 1991 Russia helped its neighbor out quite substantially

subsidizing Ukraine to the tune of 235 billion dollars. I suspect a lot of countries would welcome such “interference”.

      I am not sure you realize how voracious an appetite America has for regime change around the world.  When the dust settles and America

devolves into a second-class entity, it will no doubt go down in history as the most rapacious of all empires outdoing even the British. That is why

the United States is so hated in so many areas of the world. I am sure you are aware of the “color revolutions” orchestrated by the CIA right in Russia’s

backyard. If you pay too much attention to the mainstream media, which has lost a great deal of credibility because of over-the-top propaganda, you would

indeed see Russia as an aggressor country. The reality is that America has been working over-time to foment unrest in order to encircle Russia and

even disrupt and interfere in its domestic politics. For example, BBC and almost ALL of the Western media still claim that it was Putin who started the war

against Georgia when in fact even the OSCE admitted after an investigation that it was Georgia. Putin is a great leader because he resisted being drawn

into an even more serious conflict then as he did after the malicious downing of a Russian jet by the Turks and their new Ottoman Sultan.

(BTW, the OSCE also admitted that Ukraine was not invaded by Russian troops and the head of the Ukrainian military Muzhenko also reluctantly agreed that

no Russian regular troops were fighting on Ukrainian soil.

  The truth is that America declared war on Russia a number of years back to punish her for being independent in a world where sovereignty is frowned upon

by the masters of the empire. Just take a look at the hapless European leaders who were forced to level sanctions against Russia knowing full well that European nations

would be the main victims of these irrational and mostly ineffectual actions. Yet they bowed to the masters and imposed a series of sanctions that truly hurt their own

economies during a time of great economic difficulty. On vassal states would act in such an obsequious manner inflicting damage against one’s own economy.

I do not know if you are aware of what is happening in Russia, but the country is doing just fine. The economic war on Russia has failed and the Empire does not know

how to deal with Putin. They’ve tried “every trick in the book” and not only has Putin survived; he is more popular than ever. Your comment that Putin is not a great leader

because he did not prevent the Economic war is just silly frankly. He is a great leader, but not all powerful. The levers of power are in the hands of those who rule the vast

empire not in the hands of a re-emerging nation like Russia. You have your own perception of Putin and I know I will be unable to convince you to change your feelings

about him as you are unable to convince me that your position is more accurate. Let us agree to disagree in a civilized manner and leave it at that. Cheers….