I once read an account from a French embassy worker who was stationed in St. Petersburg in the 1740s. His complaints about living and dealing with Russians were the same exact ones many of my ex-pat friends and I had living and working in Russia. The account had been shared in an article in The St. Petersburg Times, a formerly independent newspaper in the city. Many of us read that article and were amazing how nothing had changed. As for Ukrainians defending themselves, I have really heard Russians say that if they hadn't fought back, then this whole war would have been over months ago...they can't accept that anyone would fight back as a matter of principle or love for country.