theluckycountry wrote:Perhaps that's Frances motivation, or perhaps it goes a lot deeper. Perhaps they see an affiliation with the BRICS as insurance for future energy supplies from Russia, and perhaps as insurance if the war there gets out of hand? A/ France is a notorious turncoat of a nation, and B/ Europe always devolves in a warzone.
Many are "notorious" turncoats, if not worse. For example, the U.S. arms Israel because the latter needs to defend itself against neighbors, but the U.S. also arms Saudi Arabia, Jordan, and Egypt. Even U.S. battle tanks are manufactured in the latter.
In addition, it's more than just an affiliation. For example, one of the major trading partners of the EU itself is Saudi Arabia. The U.S. claims that it doesn't work with dictatorships but it has China as a major trading partner and Saudi Arabia as a military ally. It even supported all sorts of regimes, including those of Saddam, the Shah of Iran, Suharto, Pinochet, Marcos, and others.
In several cases, it will support a regime, then use it against another, and then when the first falls will try to make deals with the other, which is what happened to Iraq and Iran.
Reminds me of the Krupps and the military industrial complex, which sells to both sides in a conflict and wins either way.