Oh-uh! I can hear US anthem! AGAIN!!!!

In the 17th century, it was Russia and Austria that kept the Ottoman super-state theocracy out of Europe. In the 18th century, Russia was the most powerful nation in the world. It was the Russians that inevitably smashed Napoleon, all on their own. Russians manage a pretty damn powerful nation, once they get their act together. Russia could do with a better infrastructure and better business climate, but they'd be best advised not to listen to the Americans (or the WTO, or the IMF). If you want to know why, read "Globalization and its Discontents" by Joseph Stiglitz. Suffice to say, it will take a strong, centralized and above all independant Russian government to get their GDP growth up. That's how Japan, South Korea, Germany and the PRC did it, at times in direct confrontation with US interests.