Eye of Sauron stuff...I reckon the US still see the "Gas-station" as a sideshow to the Anti-china thrust and have impressed upon the headless Eurochickens that it's their show and oh; they can pay for it too.
Interestingly I noted one US commentator had updated the US elites conception of Russia as a "Gas-station masquerading as a country" to a "... Gas-station that makes tanks". Oh dear....