I disagree with you on what Putin’s primary war aims were, but I do want to point out that the German government had painted themselves into a corner prior to the war, they just didn’t realize it. They had committed to dismantling their nuclear power plants (which to be fair, the Germans were oddly bad about designing and running) and reducing their coal plants in favor of ‘renewables’ and buying more nuclear generated electricity from France, plus natural gas generating plants. All to virtue signal about being committed to green energy.
Then the war happened.
It is politically impossible at this time for the German government to walk back the decommissioning of their nuclear plants or slow down the coal plant decommissioning program. There was just too much popular support for it. Renewables and French energy at the current state of development won’t keep the heat on in winter or the German factories going in summer without Russian gas.
They painted themselves into a corner. And everyone knows it.
And they called Trump stupid.
Blockheads.
L