Trump knows people are too divided right now as to what to do with Ukraine.
It’s like 1939, FDR probably knew was with Germany was inevitable, but 95% of Americans at the time wanted nothing to do with it. Events had to play themselves out before the majority was ready to go to war.
Trump is giving Putin every possible chance to avoid war. But if Putin refuses Trump’s hand, more and more Americans will come around in thinking that we’ll have to deal with Russia.
Fantasy
People who think that the US can be isolationist and let the world go to hell around us dont realize this is not 1776 anymore and those oceans are not such a big divide in the age of modern warfare or even economic warfare. The sovereign state is one of the few things that has reigned in tribal warfare in modern history. Nations have still gone to war, but its the idea of a nation state and that borders mean things that provides a chance of stability vs chaos, a chance of rule of law over rule of men.
In 91' the world, led by the US, stepped in to run Saddam Hussein out of Kuwait. The cynical said for oil (and that does provide a national interest), but the reality is if one nation can overrun another and there is no response, borders mean nothing.
Some questions with MHO answers:
Do we have an interest in the Russia/Ukraine war? Yes
What is the interest? Borders mean things, per above. Russia has an aggressive history. Better (and cheaper in cost and lives) to stop aggression early than later (see WWII).
Is Ukraine worthy of being defended? Ukraine is corrupt, but so is Russia and for that matter, most of the rest of the world in some form. Very few non-corrupt nations exist, and some like us are fickle about it every election cycle.
Is our interest in Ukraine sovereignty enough to send troops? No, not at this time.
Is that interest enough to send arms? Yes
Why? Because Russia wont stop with Ukraine. They have their sights on the Baltics and Europe as well.
Why does that concern us? Because evil left unattended only grows. Eventually we will have to face it, and either succumb or be forced to fight.
We have many challenges today with China, and Russia being to two biggest, and a host of wannabe's (Iran, NK, and socialist infiltration amongst our own government and allies). We will have to learn to walk and chew gum at the same time.
All we have to do is to drill for more oil. And ask the Saudis to sell everything they have on the global market.
Russia will be broke in a year.
“But if Putin refuses Trump’s hand, more and more Americans will come around in thinking that we’ll have to deal with Russia.”
Are you suggesting we will literally have to go to war with Russia? Hard to imagine Americans would be into that idea.