respect is important. russians have immense national pride. russia is, after all, the largest country on the planet. 48 times larger than germany. it encompasses 11 time zones and straddles europe, asia and the middle east. it is also a rich country, containing some of the largest deposits of raw materials from oil and natural gas to nickel and aluminum. culturally, it has often thought of itself as the third rome, preserving christianity even as roman fell to the barbarians. putin understands russia. but he also understands the world. he s not foolish enough to make frontal assault on america or europe. he knows how to use power ace m asymmetrically with cyber tools and disinformation. he understands the vulnerabil y vulnerabilities of free societies, the internal division and discord and the gaping openness.