Regarding neutrality: Ukraines largest trading partner before the invasion was Russia. IIRC the Russian gas transport alone was about 5% of total Ukrainiand GDP.

IMO politically Ukraine is too big and too corrupt for NATO and/or EU membership. It is the same story as for Turkey entering the EU. Lots of talk for years about how it "might be" or "could be" but in the end, Germany will not accept such a large rival. In ther opinion, why should they dilute their power when they don't have to?

Regarding the US: The entire reason the EU was formed was to stop the centuries of fighting in Europe, particularly between France and Germany. It has been a great success, despite the shortcomings of the Euro.

Close business ties between Russia and Germany are orders of magnitude better at avoiding war than tanks and missiles. But the US sells tanks and missiles, and US LNG is 4x more expensive than Russia's. The US has been talking openly since at least 2014 (Condoleeza Rice) that the Russian/German gas business must be stopped.

Trump sanctioned companies working on NS II. Biden said directly the US would end the pipeline. They did, or a close ally. Whoever blew up the pipeline did it with US approval.

I see providing the war and specifically blowing up NS II as tactics to achieve the strategics aims of keeping Germany subservient to the US, selling LNG to the EU, and selling more weapons.

Long term this may destroy both NATO and the EU, but as long as the US can continue to escalate, they can keep the advantage.