Russia could be a great friend of the west if it wanted and would be very helpful in countering China's influence. Unfortunately the Russian leadership is more interested in enriching themselves and trying to revive the the USSR.

This is true as well.

The russian patriots would not need the nationalism substitute so much, if they had wealth in real life.

A Ryszard Kapuściński quote from one of the sowjet people I remember:

"We might be poor, but our empire is big"

Now they are just poor, without the comfort of being part of a big empire.