User blog comment:Eastward Expansion/The Russian Bear (Book Review Part 3)/@comment-1375165-20100802022111

It should be noted that the image of Russia as a Soviet dictatorship is beginning to fade, and may even be gone by the 2020's.

If you think this is implausible, consider Germany. Despite being "the enemy" in the First World War, and causing some of the worst horrors in human history, Germany is now considered, according to the Anholt Nation Brands Index, to be the most highly regarded nation in the world. The image of Russia may very well improve enough by then that most nations wouldn't intervene in its growth to stop "another USSR", NATO may very well simply back down as Friedman believes.