"OPEC cut production when the oil price reached as high as $120 USD during the war and then the oil price dropped to even lower than before the invasion then they cut production to stabilise the oil price between $80-90 USD. What does that tell you??"
It tells me you keep repeating the same argument hehehe. US was demanding more oil production so they did a token 100k barrel a day increase while Biden and the US were running around cap in hand to all those nations they had previously put sanctions on for human rights abuses offering to "renegotiate with them if they helped" (Iran included).
Proving they seem to flip flop very quickly when money is involved. However to the world and US's shock they followed that up by a cut of not the 1 million barrels they were talking about but 2 million barrels. Which was a slap in the face to the US and the West (US really). And continued the supportive retoric towards Putin who they said "they trust" (on record).
Note those nations they asked "help" from all told them...well you know the answer.
"I'm not sure where you got your information but by all reports everyone thought Ukraine would loss the war in the first few weeks"
Ukraine was beaten from the start. The intervention of the entire West is the only reason this war is going on. It is not a war between Russia and Ukraine it is actually a proxy war between the West and Russia now. Which I will remind you no matter how the West spins it didn't go to plan as Russia managed to take 20 - 25 percent for the country.
And that was after all the talk of the failure by the Russians and if you remember the market ramps that Russia would have to sue for peace. What we have now is a very dangerous situation that they have "annexed" those pieces of Ukraine to justify the use of nuclear weapons. They if pushed and given no choice would do it IMO.
Its a must win for them and their survival. So while clearly the Russian invasion didn't go to plan either we have one hell of a mess developing now with the Ukraine refusing to give concessions and that being the only way Russia can save face. Not to mention with winter coming Russia is now destroying the essential infrastructure really a huge mess on all sides.
P.S. Hope that clarifies my position, I understand yours BTW.
(20min delay)