Final answer:
The Swedes were a major impediment to Russian power during the times of great northern wars by preventing Russian access to the Baltic Sea. Russia's internal issues with serfdom, resistance to change, and economic underdevelopment also constrained its ascent to dominant power. Additionally, Russia's expansionist motives brought distrust from European powers, including Sweden.
Step-by-step explanation:
The Swedes were a significant impediment to Russian power for a variety of reasons. Primarily, during the era of great northern wars, Sweden contested Russian expansion into the Baltic, which was essential for Russia to become a great world power. Russia's goal to secure a 'window to the West' through access to the Baltic Sea put it directly at odds with the powerful Swedish Empire, which controlled that region. The longtime rivalry was one of the main factors restraining Russia's ambitions to become a dominant European power and expand its influence westward.
In addition to military confrontations, Russia's own internal dynamics hindered its rise to power. With a predominantly serf-based economy and a largely uneducated population resistant to change, Russia struggled with economic underdevelopment and lacked the social framework necessary for rapid industrialization. Competing western powers, like Britain and France, not only outmaneuvered Russia in wars such as the Crimean War but also surpassed it through early adaptation of industrial innovations.
Russian expansionist motives were also viewed warily by European nations, including Sweden. Nevertheless, it was not just Sweden's military resistance but also Russia's archaic socio-economic structure which limited its evolution into a fully realized world power despite the ambitions of rulers such as Peter the Great and Catherine the Great.