While I agree with you the most part. I just want to point out this part you said.

"Population wies nothing will change as the Russians have pretty much just done as their leaders have told them for centuries"

Not really. There have been a few revolutions, including one that wiped out the entire family of Tsar. And I'd wager that Putin has less authority than a Tsar with "Divine ancestry"

All I'm saying is that there is historical precident that would conflict when you say "centuries"

Now since ww2? Sure maybe