Historically, Russia's relations with the West have been tenuous at best. From the Crimean War in the 1850s, to the alienation that followed the Bolshevik Revolution of 1917, to the Cold War and the collapse of the Soviet Union, Russia was "under attack." This forced them to adopt a mentality based on self-sufficiency and autarky. As Western countries attempt to strengthen democracy in Russia in the 21st century, Russia has reacted negatively to these "intrusions." It is therefore important to ask what role the West should play in Russia's development and what is stopping it from doing so? In her book Russia: Lost in Transition, Lilia Shevtsova describes two different ways for the West to approach development with Russia: leaving them to fend for themselves or patiently creating an international environment in which Russians feel comfortable. Shevtsova clearly favors the latter solution. Western involvement, however, is hampered by double standards, ideological differences, and negative perceptions of Western motivations on the part of the Russian people. We must first analyze them before showing to what extent a cautious and assertive approach constitutes the best way for the West to contribute to Russia's development. Both the United States and Russia gained new leaders at the turn of the century: George W. Bush and Vladimir Putin. Although relations began on a rocky note, with the expulsion of foreign diplomats from both countries, Bush did not impose reforms on Russia. Instead, he focused on expanding U.S. security interests, particularly regarding terrorism after 9/11. This has created a take-no-prisoners relationship, with the United States reaping all the benefits. Shevtsova says: "Russia was taken for granted... middle of paper ...... the development of Russia and the involvement of the West in this task." Russia needs to feel like it is being treated as if it is a major global player, which is indeed the case. If he feels taken lightly, he will cut himself off from the rest of the world and no positive change will occur. This means stopping the use of Russia to augment the security needs of the United States, without any benefit to Russia. The West must recognize the differences in Russia and work around them in order to find a system that suits them. A realistic approach is clearly not the solution, as it only fuels negativity and does nothing to encourage Russia to resolve the internal problems hampering the country. If the West can engage productively with Russia, an era of cooperation will ensue, which will be essential to solving global security problems..