The U.S. is a member of NATO, why do people keep ignoring that?
And we should be thankful that the attempt by George Bush and the NeoCons to get Ukraine and Georgia admitted to NATO failed.
In what way is that relevant as to whether or not it is possible to pry Crimea away from Russia without winning a total war.
People also keep ignoring other incidentals which do not in any way mitigate the problem at hand.
Any lives lost in posturing if the west is not willing to to the mat against Russia (atomic weapons, chemicals, biological agents, the whole nine yards) are being cynically thrown away by grandstanding idiots.
There are zero people suggesting that the west go in there militarily who are not either advocating World War Three - the Nuclear Holocaust edition or else are grandstanding idiots. There is no third catagory. We know exactly where the Russians will go on this, their doctrine has been unmovable for six decades. No room for any surprises.