I certainly don't speak for the EU, but we were not afraid of Russia before the US coup'ed the government of Ukraine. Since Russia's invasion there have been huge demonstrations for the EU to NOT support NATO in the war. There are no huge demonstrations in favor of the war.

Until 2022, everyone East of France got their gas and oil from Russia. It was a great deal for both the EU and Russia. This was particularly true for Germany, as their chemical industry needs a lot of natural gas. The entire premise of the EU was to get all the countries doing business together, as then no country would want to invade the others, because we are in business together.

The only people unhappy with the situation were the US oil and gas companies.

Then by a completely strange coincidence, just about the time Putin said that the US banks couldn't continue to privatize Russia's economy, the US decided that Russia is an adversary. Weird coincidence.

From the end of the USSR to 2014, Russia had not attacked any other country first. It was NATO that kept doing what NATO had done during the cold war: surround and isolate Russia.

There will be no victory for Ukraine over Russia. As Obama pointed out in 2016, Russia will ALWAYS have escalatory dominance in Ukraine.