Just last night I was grumbling about how lucky Putin is, despite everything he does. Something always happens that he can turn around in his favour.

Hosting Winter Olympics and winning to host Football Cup - but of course! No matter how much money mysteriously disappears in the process, - we're a great nation, we deserve it!

Civil war breaks out in a neighboring state - time to say "tut-tut!" to a nation who have been in vain hopes of spurting economic growth, development and quality of life. Set them as a bad example of see-what-happens-to-the-disloyal-ones?!  to your own nation. Feeding the bullshit of some Fascists, NATO, US secretly participating in the war to your own people successfully - definitely requires some tremendous amount of luck going your way.

Actually, successfully feeding your people the bullshit of nearly the whole world conspiring against them for many years - requires some tremendous luck.

Terrorist attacks and violent shooting in developed countries - serve them right!

Annexing part of the neighboring country while it's at war? - sure, we're a great nation, on our way back to being an Empire! (apparently) :)

Providing asylum to Snowden? - Yep, let the world know what the real Democracy is!

EU approaches Russia after having suffered a number of terrorist attacks? - of course, that's because we're great!

But fine. There's a good opportunity to improve relationship with the EU and USA, to unite and contribute and to really do something that counts and can make your people proud. After all - here's a common enemy - a real one! - and you do have resources, and you're the one being approached! A very, very good chance to start off a new clean page!

...Leaving it on this thought makes reading the news at 3am about the shot down SU-24 and Putin's response, threats of sanctions and calling for the Russians to cease visiting Turkey a bit like a... deja vu (deja lu) caused by sleep deprivation.
A big fat vicious circle deja vu.