Good point, well taken. Really. But I still insist this is a case of failed diplomacy, and since 2013 the meddling of Obama and the Bidens have gotten us in this mess. I would have thought it much wiser to negotiate and given up two Provinces and cut a deal to NOT join NATO, than see another World War III break out, much like World War I, which was fought over some border dispute between Austria and Hungary.
“But I still insist this is a case of failed diplomacy, and since 2013 the meddling of Obama and the Bidens have gotten us in this mess. I would have thought it much wiser to negotiate and given up two Provinces”
1. So many people want to ignore and dismiss Putin’s meddling in Ukraine, in its politics and in the so-called “breakaway” areas in eastern Ukraine, all through the years since he first got the leadership in Russia (over all the different U.S. administrations), and want to pretend forces in Ukraine that disagree with Putin, and nations in Europe, and the U.S. were going to, and supposed to just ignore and dismiss all of it as well - and do nothing either. That merely accepts Putin’s erroneous notion that Putin/Russia has inviolate rights to and in Ukraine that no one can oppose. Why?
2. Neither the other European nations nor the U.S. has ever held the position that they have the right to reach an agreement with Russia that they’ll then dictate to Ukraine, nor to tell Ukraine it must give up any of its territory (established since 1917) to Putin. It is rather funny and hypocritical that many who suggest Europeans or the U.S. should do just that also are complaining about “western meddling” in Ukraine. So which is it?
The bottom line is that neither Ukraine nor NATO invaded or attacked anyone in Europe. The same cannot be said of Putin.