Barring any misinterpretations from the media, it sounds like Russia wants
to be a major player in the Space Age again. Who can blame them for that?

We used to dread all their space and military firsts and what they were
presumed capable of for the first four decades of the era. I can understand
why they would want to become seen as a serious world power again, and
space would be a very visible sign of it. Because as said here already,
their plans don't make much practical sense otherwise.

The ISS is claimed to be International, but let's face it, the USA runs and
builds the majority of it. I'm sure the Russians would love to put up Mir 2 if
they could. They also know a certain bordering neighbor certainly will have
their own space station in Earth orbit soon enough, with their eyes set on
worlds that everyone used to think the Russians would be colonizing by now.