Russia - A global power again?

In the Newsmagazine DER SPIEGEL,I read an article about the comeback of Russia atthe brink of the 21th century.
Due to their huge gas and oil deposits,the russianeconomy prospers,the foreign exchange reserve is bigger than germanys. The people a proudof their country.
Of course there are many economic problems to solve. Many russianslive below the poverty line and other parts of the economy aren't developing so oood,likethe oil and gas industry.

On the other hand Russias President Wladimir Putinrules Russia with iron fist. Many private Boradcasting Compsns and Newspapers where shutdown or sold to the huge state company GASPROM ,which is also controlling the resspurcesof the country. Competitors lik YUKOS are simply pushed away by the governementcontrolled justice.

Putin also uses the energy reserves to make foreign policy.Ukraina feeled the squeeze at th beginning of the new year. GASPROM hut down the GasSupply to extort higher gas prices from the Ukraina.

Even the inflectiontowards western europe becomes more and more oppressive. Germanys gas and oil-importsdepends to 40 % from russia.

Russia is still the second biggest nuclear powerand has more than 10,000 nuclear warheads and developed new Missiles to carry them moreprecisely to their enemys.

Is Russia up to build up a second empire in sovietstyle?

mhm don't know, but i think that, at the moment, to many parts of russia are notdevelopped enough...
there are many people, who do not have everything they need forlife!
But maybe, when you wait a bit, it can become a real important power in theworld!
but it depends on several things like
the invention of newenergy-resources, or better said the discouvering...
(then, the russian resourcesdon't have that much power, they have now!...)
...

@hullabaloo

The russian gas an oil reserves,are the biggest in the world....

And they use them,to make politics and this is a great danger. We are facing anew cold war,between the western world, a new russian empire and china.

@Obrien

Why do you think would the Chinese side have an interest to sharetheir pole position in the worlds poker about the new "leading" world power.

@ ragnarök:
sure, but when there are other ways to "produce" energy they would nothave the power they'll have now, with actual conditions...