It’s about keeping control of the light and heat in Berlin.
Russia is an oil country. They are natural gas producers. They need to keep the price of oil and gas up in Europe. If they can deny cheap gas to Southern Europe they will maintain their economy.
If gas and oil become cheap, and the Arabs get a pipeline and port into the Med, Russia is screwed.
This is not about religion, it’s not about empire. It’s about economic survival.
At least with the Russians it’s about economics, rather than expanding a Moon-Cult as with the Muslims.