IMO Russia's Russia's loss of its economically dependant Warsaw Pact countries was an economic benefit for Russia and add to that its increasing Petro revenues indicated to the USA that as time went on that Russia could be an even bigger threat to the USA than ever the USSR was.
Hedgemons traditionally fight direct wars with weak powers and proxy wars with rising powers in order to maintain hegemony and, IMO, the USA is no different.
IMO the US misjudged the ability of Russia & China to agree on a "no limits" alliance given that in the past they were enemies with residual border conflict.
Not only that but the US misjudged, IMO, the impact of this war on the global reserve status of the USD; something which has enabled the US to print Greenbacks for decades without incurring rampant inflation/devaluation of the Dollar.
All that has changed now and we are seeing the gradual demise of the US Fintech global empire and as any economist will tell you....over time economics trumps politics/ideology.
