We invaded Iraq, Afghanistan, and Syria, to name a few. We overthrew the recognized governments of Iraq, Libya, and Afghanistan. And supported regime change in Syria. We came up with our own justification.
If he decided to intervene, Putin could invoke the international obligation of "Responsibility To Protect" (R2P). But he knew that whatever its nature or scale, the intervention would trigger a storm of sanctions. Therefore, whether Russian intervention were limited to the Donbass or went further to put pressure on the West over the status of the Ukraine, the price to pay would be the same. This is what he explained in his speech on February 21. On that day, he agreed to the request of the Duma and recognized the independence of the two Donbass Republics and, at the same time, he signed friendship and assistance treaties with them.
The Ukrainian artillery bombardment of the Donbass population continued, and, on 23 February, the two Republics asked for military assistance from Russia. On 24 February, Vladimir Putin invoked Article 51 of the United Nations Charter, which provides for mutual military assistance in the framework of a defensive alliance.
No evidence of Ukrainian bombardment of the Donbass in February was ever provided by Russia. What Russia DID provide was bullshit like claiming the Ukrainians blew up a Kindergarten in the Donbass, but it was actually a Kindergarten in Ukrainian controlled territory:
https://euromaidanpress.com/2022/02/17/the-donbass-genocide-myth-in-the-making-a-kindergarten-shelling-case-study/
I also recall large numbers of social media posts by people in the Donbass complaining/reporting of OUTGOING and non-stop artillery fire from Donbass into Ukraine.
Yet another lie in a legion of lies put forth by you, Kabar.
Each of these countries was led by Totalitarian regimes hostile to the United States and Israel.
Regardless about whether it was wise to attempt nation building or not, killing Saddam or taking out the Taliban is hardly the same thing as Russia gang raping little girls in Bucha because Ukraine, a free country, refused to be enslaved by the Neo-USSR.
Due to the stream of lies fed to us by Russia and its agents in the West about Ukraine, I am no longer willing to believe what we have heard about Syria or Libya that comes from these same sources, including claims that the WMD attacks on Syrian civilians were "false flags."
Unfortunately, my research is far from complete, but I suspect we have been lied to for years on many different issues.
You guys are free to side with the former KGB guy, the Communist Chinese Party, and Iran. Fortunately, your opinion is a tiny minority within the U.S., and is irrelevant as a consequence.