Ukraine

Compare that to the possibility Russia had when Russia worked on getting closer to the west after the fall of Gorbachev and becoming a democracy, If they had continued along that path, Russia would almost without a doubt be the biggest and most influential economy in Europe now.

This. They could have very easily been the “bridge to the east” for Europe, and vice versa for China & the islands. Trade, security, resources, etc instead of giving that role to Türkiye and Israel. Massive reserves of oil, gas, fertilizer precursors, and titanium. Combine that with Chinas heavy metals and labor pool, Russia could be in an economic powerhouse alliance, off ramping from a hydrocarbon economy into a manufacturing and innovation society. The Soviets kept abreast of the entire western output, their military hardware was super competitive until like the 80s.

Instead one guy threw it away.