Touché
That is if you focus just on what it was said. However people have forgotten the real story that is the actual "struggle" in Ukraine. Which is the real issue since this is the fight that the pro western forces will probably lose as it stands for now. Because the socio-economic situation in the country is very bad and the place is in disarray. Not to mention that pro-Russian politicians in eastern-europe are actively helping Russia by diplomatically proding Ukraine from the back or by creating disorder in the EU.
This is why people don't understand why what just happened in Macedonia and Albania is so important on the long run. Macedonia managed to form a coalition between it's left and ethnic Albanians in the country that are something like 25% of the population. While nationalists have solid pro-russian attitude. The mission of that new administration was to get country in order and push the whole country towards the west. They even had a decent run but the west many times didn't manage to get pass the decision(s) that would open those countries the doors. Therefore Albania actively started to backtrack back toward dictatorship since ex-communists are in power there and Russia, China and Turkey are luring them with money, deals and what not. What means that those 25% of Macedonian population that are Albanians will mostly follow. What means that Macedonia probably has no chance of making a new pro-western administration. Especially since people are outraged by another major rejection from the west and PM had no choice but to request snap election, since his entire agenda is in ruins and attacks on him are constant.
However that changes everything in the so called western Balkans. Since Serbia that is also known as "little Russia" wants to avoid westernization at pretty much all costs, just today their president thanked Russia for tight military cooperation. However since Western Balkans is basically an enclave inside EU/NATO Serbs are surrounded. But if Albania and Macedonia as well as Bosnia and Montenegro where there are plenty of Serbs stay away from western integrations the Serbs will get enough maneuvering space. Especially if the other countries in the troubled region will have "pro-eastern" governments. What means that this region will become a "beach-head" for Russia and China (what basically already is). However that complicates just about everything, especially since all countries around this region have weak democracies and a decent number of pro-russian politicians and assets: Greece, Bulgaria, Romania, Hungary, Croatia and Italy which is just off the coast. Therefore as eastern centers of operations are settled in the Balkans that effects trade, diplomacy and ETC. After all these countries in western Balkans and around it are all ex-communist countries where that "ex" is kinda half questionable.
Therefore now into play comes Russian ace - the cheap/mass fossil energy. Since there is a mess in Ukraine it is no longer safe to transit the fossil fuels through it, while that transit through it's territory earns Ukraine a fair part of their already small budget for their actual needs. However Russia needs to sell the energy to Europe for it's own income and this is where the master plan comes into play, which is to bypass Ukraine with pipelines. One is going through Baltic sea directly into central Europe and since Turkey switched to Russian side Russia is building pipelines for Russian energy there as well. However since the western Balkans remained unwesternized it is possible and profitable to make the part of the pipeline that will go there as well. The only problem is Bulgaria but the country has a fair amount of Pro-Russian politicians and historic ties to Russia, plus they also need the oil and perhaps some money from transit. Not to mention the mass of Russian tourists in the Summer time that keeps economy afloat, therefore this will be given a go as it seems.
What means that Russian energy will get safely into Europe and that means that: Russia no longer needs Ukraine for transit, it killed a decent chunk of their income that comes from transit and it made countries behind Ukraine's back dependent on their relatively cheap energy. What means that they can slam Ukraine directly at any time. Or they can just drain it and wait that people rebel, decent amount of them are ethnic Russians anyway. So that shouldn't take too long.
However if Ukraine falls (the gray between dark blues and dark green on the map) the dark green will really start to take shape that everyone should recognize from the history classes.
What in the end means that with Russian energy and round up Russian influence, China's mass investments through 17+1 trade deal, traditional influence of Turkey, corrupt politicians and western improvisations it shouldn't be too hard to completely turn the whole ex-eastern block back east. What places export oriented economies in Western Europe into impossible economic situation. So they will either suffer economic meltdown or also be pulled into this. What leaves half bankrupt US without quite a number of allies and dependent on goods from China.
Therefore I am not sure that most American people realized about what all of this is actually about. Or why toying with supplying of the Ukraine is dangerous game for the "free world" and therefore ultra scandalous on it's own. (what the media tend to skip as a factor)