Russians will become very defensive if you criticize their country. They know Russia has a lot of problems, but it's their country and they are proud of it.

Avoid making comparisons between America and Russia. Russians will usually interpret this as criticism. They may become indignant without you knowing why.

The problem is that Russians love foreigners and want to talk to you about America, so it's a difficult situation. Try to explain things without making comparisons.

Russians have an inferiority / superiority complex. Many of them have low self-esteem, which makes them sensitive about criticism. They may try to cover this up by matching your perceived boldness, making them appear arrogant.

The father of one woman I met was retired military. Russians have a great respect for the military and are very proud of their military history.

I began to tell him a little bit about the American military thinking he would relate. However, he felt that I was comparing American military operations to Russian military operations.

He proceeded to boast about how Marshall Zuckov had Russian submarines in New York harbor without the Americans being aware of it. I had offended him without being aware of it.

Of course, I changed the subject, and soon all was forgotten.