[When a country that is already the largest on Earth, by far (i.e. almost 2x), decides to expand its territory, we are by default interested in the outcome, as a matter of national security.
That assertion is entirely debatable by serious people.
And being interested in the outcome is not the same thing as having a core, essential, real interest.]
And when I say we are interested, I mean in the sense of having an essential, real interest. When a country this big wants to expand its territory, its ambitions are insatiable. It was one thing for Germany, at 1/35th Russia’s land area, to want lebensraum. It’s quite another for Russia to do so.
“we are by default interested in the outcome, as a matter of national security”
We disagree that there is an essential US National Security interest at stake.