A show of force by Obama is pointless because they don’t respect him. This is not about our nation (although I agree with your assessment) or people - it’s about the leader of our foreign policy.
From a tactical standpoint there is little we could do in the Ukraine - we would be screwed logistically and Russia holds the major advantage on the map. Russia is not Iraq or Afghanistan - they are a major military power with global reach. Few Americans have the stomach for that fight over a nation few could find on a map and it would be financially disastrous beyond the costs in human lives. NATO participation will be tepid at best.
The real problem we face in Eastern Europe is our European allies. Based on their energy situation they have defacto allied themselves with Russia and there is little we can do about that. As long as Putin controls the flow of energy he will have enormous influence over Europe. Dear leader has also harmed our relationships with European allies far beyond the headlines of NSA spying. Europe views Obama much as we do - out of his depth, inconsistent, and not trustworthy.
Americans are tired of playing the role of world policeman and we can’t pay for it anymore nor do we want to borrow more for it. I love the Ukraine and it’s people, but this is not (nor will it likely be) a situation of genocide. Perhaps this is a genuine desire by two separate people within one border to choose their own side.
The best case scenario for the Ukraine (and many other situations like this) may be the creation of two states that better reflect the demographics of the region. That is my .02 and right now it appears possible. While some will find this solution as less than ideal it may cause the least harm to all involved. The Eurocentric part of the Ukraine only has to guarantee the security of the pipeline. Not difficult considering Europe will demand this as much as Russia.
I won’t be critical of them - we may eventually face the same solution here as our nation becomes more divided. Look at the efforts to break away from state capitals in the U.S. in places such as Colorado, Washington, Oregon, and California. Many of the arguments are based on similar reasons as the situation in the Ukraine minus the superpower struggle.
Exactly. Ukraine is going to have to give up The Crimea (which truly never should have been part of Ukraine), in order to gain true independence, which is freedom to join NATO/EU if they so desire.