If they Russians are trying to work the long game they’ve got to do something to even out the numbers between them and their only true continental adversary which would be China.
That the Chinese would waste a significant amount of blood and treasure over archipelago properties when they have an area that’s equal to their size to the north and west that’s essentially unpopulated by their standards seems irrational. They have more single fighting age males who have zero chance of ever landing a member of the opposite sex (due to 1 child) than the entire population of Russia. The only real question is how to acquire that territory without a heavy nuclear exchange.
Russia probably sees strategically positive value in nuclear armed Islamic states as a buffer to China, along with the added manpower being tied to a state like Germany would bring if they ended up having to project much of their land forces to the Far East.
Focus on the west, aside from it as a Cold War and WWII grudge carryover, doesn’t make much sense from a logical standpoint, but then again, we are dealing with people...
I agree with your comments.
People... true isn’t it.