Over the last year, Russia has gone through some tough times — the political isolation from the West over the country's alleged intervention in the Ukrainian crisis, the fall of the ruble and economic sanctions.
However, at the end of the day, Russian President Vladimir Putin came out as a victor from all the adversities and should even thank the West for giving him an opportunity to strengthen his country, open up new economic venues and unite his citizens under a new national idea, French magazine Boulevard Voltaire reported.
Although Western sanctions against Russia hurt the country's economy, they forced Russia to reconsider its economic policies, look for new business partners and strive towards economic independence by developing domestic industries. The road may be long and hard, but the end result will be sure worth it.
Western isolation gave Moscow a chance to develop new relationships with its Eastern neighbors. Russia has pursued a great deal of economic, financial and military cooperation with China and India over the past year. The West, on the other hand, missed out on great economic opportunities by turning Russia from a potential partner to an adversary, Boulevard Voltaire argued.
Thanks to Western attempts to pressure Russia, Putin has become the undisputed leader of the country that cherishes its history and values, Boulevard Voltaire concluded.
