We really should have allowed Ukranian men to enlist in our infantry. Station them in NATO. Then when these wars come up they can return to Ukraine as trained fighting citizens. It’s not too late for former eastern bloc countries. Would they volunteer? Good question. Dangle American citizenship in front of them.
Hindsight is always 20-20.
Ukrainians have been fighting Russia for 8 years since they invaded Crimea. The Ukes are pretty battle hardened already, and the US has been training them well, it looks like. The training took better in Ukraine than it did in Afghanistan.