France is trying to drag Germany along to set up a European superpower to rival the US. Putin would like to be part of such a formation. Unfortunately, his up-to-now good judgment has been clouded by the prospect and he does not see that Europe cannot become that superpower. EU does not have and cannot acquire the military wherewithal to challenge US paramountcy. EU's tendency toward socialism and its attendant inefficiencies guarantee that if EU starts to spend the money necessary to gain an American class military, the economy will sag to a level that will make the project unattainable and will make for a USSR type of denouement- economic collapse.