The only plan was to not interrupt the sale of Russian oil to the EU. Because despite repeated, and loud, warnings by everyone with a brain, the EU allowed themselves to become dependent on Russian oil. Meaning if they allowed Ukraine to actually crash the Russian economy 3 years ago, it would have caused serious hardship in the EU, and some strain on the US economy. Which would have been entirely workable, but politically toxic, and all the leaders involved were too weak to handle it.
The only plan was to not interrupt the sale of Russian oil to the EU. Because despite repeated, and loud, warnings by everyone with a brain, the EU allowed themselves to become dependent on Russian oil. Meaning if they allowed Ukraine to actually crash the Russian economy 3 years ago, it would have caused serious hardship in the EU, and some strain on the US economy. Which would have been entirely workable, but politically toxic, and all the leaders involved were too weak to handle it.