Yes. War is very bad. It is therefore extremely important to avoid it at almost all costs.
When a larger and more powerful neighbor threatens war if you do “a”, you should really consider not doing “a” - that is, if you care more about your people than what Victoria Nuland and Anthony Blinken are telling you.
“Wars should only be fought when the consequences of not fighting them are worse than the consequences war itself,” such as enslavement or annihilation, according to Ernest Hemingway, who fought in WW I. I don’t think Victoria Nuland or Anthony Blinken are the ones persuading the Ukrainians to fight. It’s their home. They should fight for it. America, however, should just give them the tools they need to win, and stay out of their way.