This is not just about Russia belligerence and US weakness. It is about the moral bankruptcy of the entire west. Europe could put an end to this very quickly by imposing an immediate, complete ban on Russia exports. But that would require Europe to experience short term pain as it would have to line up alternate energy sources when the Russian oil and gas pipelines run dry. Putin’s Russia is a massive organized crime scheme. It will collapse without western money for its oil and gas. But we all know, as does Putin, that the west - not just the US - does not have the stomach for a fight. And the country that is most anxiously waiting for this all to play out is China. On what premise does the US intervene to save Taiwan if the Chinese government, following Russia’s example, decides to invade Taiwan to “protect” the Chinese speaking peoples from what China views as an illegitimate government?
The United States has no military obligations toward Taiwan, it doesn't even have formal diplomatic relations with the country. I could see the United States intervening to 'save' Japan but not Taiwan.
Why should we? The Crimea is and was Russian territory. It was formal Ukrainian because of a commie-deal between Nikita Khrushchev and the local soviet in 1954. All this lament about broken international law is complete BS.
Beside of this the Russians are important partners of the EU. If you compare the shipments between Germany and the US with those between Germany and Russia, the Germans already exports to Russia 2/3 of the amount of shipments they send to the US. After all America is loosing its importance for European countries fast because of its economical decline (this is something you guys should fix instantly). Nobody sane on our side of the big pond would endanger the economic excange between Russia and the EU.
The problem is not the Crimea, the problem are traumatized countries like Poland, Lativa, Estonia and Lithuania. They have good reason to worry about a new-born Soviet Union since they suffered under soviet slavery for a long time.
The solution are huge European investments in a efficient millitary, reasonable consultations between Europe and the US and more cultural and intellectual exchange with the Russians. Russia will not change because of sanctions or millitary pressure but because of a change in values. There is a old Arab bonmot: If you can not cut off a hand you have to shake it...
Regards from Europe
Andreas