AtticusMatlock said:
No they aren't. They don't align with anyone. They will make deals with anyone that it makes sense to make deals with at any given time. Russia's giving them cheap oil. They will do what they can to keep the US close at the same time. Telling them to pick one side or the other under threat of sanction isn't the best way to deal with them.
This sounds like what a missionary told me about Hindus: they will accept Jesus , and praise him , but before the sun goes down, their Hindu religion just absorbs Christianity amongst rest of their beliefs and Jesus is equally footing with elephants and Brahmas and whatever else they worship.