Yeah, in the nineties there was a lot of optimism and in fact, some decent cooperation.
However, a major flaw is that Russia suffered a lot and people didn't see that prosperity everyone just assumed would follow.
So while in the West, we were partying down about our prospective new buddies, the situation was actually pretty bad in Russia, and Putin found a receiptive audience in that context.
Well, in early nineties it had good relations. Then it stopped having good relation with Russia and started having good relation with oligarchs and later Putin's mafia.
Kept their space station going for a while, and then built a new one together. What's left of Roscosmos and the old Soviet space program would not exist without the US propping them up.
Not entirely for altruistic reasons, mind you. Didn't want their rocket engineers running off to other countries to make ICBMs. Now that Best Korea has them, though, it's no longer that important.
What's left of Roscosmos and the old Soviet space program would not exist without the US propping them up.
Rogozin's mansions won't pay for themselves, it didn't stop from everything in Roscosmos from being stolen.
Not entirely for altruistic reasons, mind you. Didn't want their rocket engineers running off to other countries to make ICBMs.
Btw when Soviet Union had ICBMs, Soviet Union had ICBMs, not just Russia. Also reason why Putin invaded Ukraine. If Ukraine wasn't forced to give up their NWs, Putin would think infinitely many times before invading. Fuck Putin, fuck United Russia.