What you see below is the narrative that the Western colonial states went through when they were forced to free their colonies. This was in the 1960s. What's shocking is that it's the same discourse the Russians used in the 1980s aimed at the republics seeking independence.

Russia has always been on the periphery of Europe, or if you will the West, when it comes to political concepts. The narrative change tends to occur decades after it was processed in the West (even then it's often misinterpreted and distorted).

What's shocking here is the repetition. This narrative should have been processed in the Russian collective psyche during the 1990s. Shaking the collective fist towards those "brazen ingrates" should have been replaced by self-reflection and focusing on Russia's future instead.

The reason why we don't observe such a reverse of the narrative in the West is that the colonial model is honestly seen as outdated, it's dysfunctional in the modern world. The average Russian hasn't come to the conclusion that the same model is useless, neither has their elite.

It's clear that the Western leaders would like to see Russia on the same page as them when it comes to basic political and economic concepts, this would mean that a rational agreement is possible. But Russia isn't on the same page, it's stuck in the previous chapter of history.

If you want to deal with Russia, you have to deal with it using the methods of the world it comes from, not of the world you would like to see it in. Stop thinking how Russia could be tamed and focus on how Russia can be contained.

If and when Russia internally processes the lessons the West learned decades ago, then it may come back to the table. The West cannot heal or re-educate Russia. Let Russia be what it is, but build a security wall around it and use the same methods it uses in the clandestine war.