Russia’s problems are of its own making

I can’t fathom Ray Kinsella’s thinking in his article (Irish Examiner, December 18) headlined ‘West has responsibility to engage Russia’. 

It is nonsense for the author to blame the West for Russia’s problems. The USA is the standard bearer for democracy and freedom, not the villain here.

Russia is bankrupt because 75% of all its experts are oil. Putin and his cronies have enriched themselves at the expense of ordinary Russians, There is no free press in the Russian Federation.