There is nothing to “admit”
That has been US’s strategic goal since 1945.
Russia’s goal has been to turn neighboring states into Vassal states then incorporate them into the Empire. That has been Russia’s imperative for a millennia.
The US goal is to stop Russia’s forever goal of an Empire from Lisbon to Vladivostok.
And what is America’s goal? Wait; don’t tell me — “fweedom”?
You mean like England and Spain colonised Africa, North America, South America, Ireland, India, Australia etc etc, over a period of hundreds of years. Makes Russkies look like colonialist pikers by comparison.
Let the Euros defend Lisbon.
They’ve got wealth, weapons, and industrial capacity. And nukes, too.
Le the Euros handle Russia.
Correct, it was not to weaken Russia to make it third world, but specifically “we want to see Russia weakened to the degree that it can’t do the kinds of things that it has done in invading Ukraine”