Russia/USSR has a history of cruel and ruthless rulers that goes...

Russia/USSR has a history of cruel and ruthless rulers that goes back to the Mongol invasion and beyond. Unlike the west - serfdom was alive and well until two centuries ago and the boyars (see modern oligarchs) ruled with iron fists . Unlike the west - Russian has never really been exposed to what we regard as democracy and so their persepective of social and political right and wrong is totally different to what we perceive.

Much the same way that the Hapsburgs and other old European aristocratic families became ''persone non grate'' during the European post ww1 war because they did not fit the democratic profile that was required in that period
so too - the Russian model has been criticised, condemmed and ridiculed so that it adapts to the western globalist progressive profile.

To put it simply - Putin - regardless how you see him or describe him - does not want to play the globalist game under the control of the all conquering greenback

INteresting that you mention Fiume and not Rijeka
a blast from the Hapsburgian past