He Delivers. That's Why They Like Him.

What about the Russians' distrust of the West, and particularly of the United States? They recall the 1990s as a time when the relationship between the two countries consisted of the United States dictating how Russia should manage its budding democracy, financial system and foreign relations. But after the economy crashed, the West turned away and wrote obituaries casting Russia as an economic and political basket case. Against this backdrop, Putin's platform of restoring national strength and pride clearly boosted his popularity.

Most Russians believe that ceding control of the former Soviet Union -- a process enthusiastically encouraged by the West -- has gone too far and gravely undermined their security. They also see their stability compromised by American support for the Orange and Rose revolutions in the former Soviet Bloc nations and the rumblings of NATO expansion into Ukraine and Georgia. Russians once had high hopes for a partnership with the United States, but today they look back on years of real and perceived transgressions and ask, "If these are allies, why do we want them?"

Those who discount these national security concerns overlook the sharp asymmetry of global influence today. Russians are well aware that the United States is unequivocally the world's most formidable military force. As a practical matter, any country must react when the dominant power moves to expand its principal military alliance into bordering countries. What else do we expect from Russia, a nation with a long history of foreign invasions, including the blitzkrieg of World War II that took 20 million or more lives and decimated a generation?

For Russians, national pride is as much about sensitivity as about sentiment. So it should come as no surprise that the West's habit of treating their country like a second-rate power and junior partner fuels resentment. American foot-dragging on Russia's ascension to the World Trade Organization comes with an economic cost, but the greater indignity is being denied membership in the club of global economic leaders.

In the wake of the Dubai Ports World debacle, the United States subjects companies and citizens of emerging powers such as Russia to onerous and extraordinary regulatory hurdles. While such concerns may seem trivial against the backdrop of the overall U.S.-Russian relationship, they have a lasting impact.

Almost 15 years ago, I sat in the office of a young Russian government minister who remains influential today. He complained bitterly about the imperious treatment he and his colleagues received in their dealings with Americans. "Many of us are young," he said, "and we will never forget how we were treated."

I hear and feel the same sentiment among Russians today. If you walk a mile in their shoes, it's not so hard to understand why they cheer President Putin.

Boris Jordan is an American businessman and investor based in Moscow.