Or maybe it is true because the smaller purveyor is still pretty terrible and has openly been super imperialistic. They do not deserve support or respect simply because they oppose a country that is larger in almost every way. It's possible to not simp for empires yah know. Enter transactional agreements with them to support yourself, sure, but don't think of them as friends. Russia was totally in the wrong, as they started it to everyone's detriment, including their own.