Ukraine was essentially a Russian client state until a few years later. I imagine very few wanted Ukraine in the alliance until a little more of the corruption was taken care of. Germany definitely benefited from cheap oil and gas from Russia while Russia did bad things but I think these are two different issues.
I think because in that framing being a ghost is a sad lonely thing. In the Christian tradition the ultimate reward is heaven and being in the presence of the lord. If one is stuck on earth it is similar to catholicism’s concept of purgatory.