> China and the Saudis are unlikely to somehow turn into genuine friends

China and the Saudis are the perfect match. Both are authoritarian regimes that do business. China needs liquid energy and the Saudi needs access to stuff and capital markets. The Chinese can now provide an alternative.

For clarity, I'm saying they're unlikely to turn into genuine friends of the US and US foreign policy. Wasn't talking about relations between China and Saudi. Ukraine hasn't really changed anything in that calculus.

I wonder where is the money to increase the spending? Even more insane level of debt? Even more suffering with inflation and lessening of public services?

Inaction has a price, too. Russia has even helpfully provided a concrete example of the costs of it.

>a long-standing US goal of increasing European defense spending has now become feasible.

Call me when every European nation actually hits their required NATO spending amount. Until then, talk is cheap.