Yeah, because the war Ukraine was no valid reason to revise whatever plan you had before...

Hmm? Could you be more coy and less direct in your replies, please?

Did Russia transform from a cosmopolitan, Western European-loving, tolerant nation with fantastic relations to the EU overnight into a savage brute in Feb 2022? Or was it always at least a little bit backwards, clearly not democratic, sphere of influence-envious, and had already arguably been at indirect war with Ukraine since 2014?

To claim that Germany/EU wanted closer relations with the Russian Empire contra the American Empire is clearly asinine if you look at the actions of Germany/EU.

Since Europe has not enough natural resources to be self reliant, and the US only has enough oil gas due to fracking, there is no alternative other than dealing with oppressive, human rights ignoring regimes. Iran is under sanctions, the UAE and Saudi are by no means better the Putin at his worst days (we in the West just don't give a damn about the war in Sudan and Yemen). And yes, closer relationships to Russia are, well have been, a good thing.

Russia decided to throw all that away in a failed bid to keep NATO away from their borders. Or rather Putin did.

What? Russia better than Saudi Arabia? The Saudis are neither stupid enough to attack something like Ukraine nor do they have the backbone to even think about it. They're not as caught up in cold wars or bemoaning their version of what Gorbachev did. Human rights aside wouldn't most petrol customers prefer SA over Russia? Granted, Europe and Germany esp. didn't but then again trade was supposed to mute the stupidity of the Russian government and that didn't ultimately work.

> The Saudis are neither stupid enough to attack something like Ukraine nor do they have the backbone to even think about it

Instead they pester Yemen.

> Human rights aside wouldn't most petrol customers prefer SA over Russia?

Yeah, “aside”. “Invasions aside, Russia blah blah blah”. Such an easy word to deploy.

The same level, more or less:

https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Saudi_Arabian%E2%80%93led_in...

That’s better. Thanks.