>>It only became an international issue when Russia decided to invade Ukraine,<<
So tell me, how would Americans feel if China or Russia were to setup military bases in...oh, lets say Messy-co? What if the Axis of Iran, China, Russia, NK setup a presence in Messy-co or Cuba?
The same damn thing that is happening in Ukraine is exactly what would happen if this were the scenario on our border.
America would likely try a few attempts to get the Axis to move their presence away from our border. If they continued to pursue a threat to our national security, WE WOULD INVADE Messy-co or Cuba and eliminate the threat.
Does the Cuban missile crisis ring a bell? This is not an American problem, but America has made it our problem by conducting a proxy war. This is a European problem.
U.S. Constitution provides for the “Common Defense”. Tell me how this conflict is for the defense of our nation?
Do you actually know anything about the Cuban Missile Crisis? It involved the confirmed presence of actual nuclear weapons in Cuba. Not the possibility that they might, potentially, someday be there, but actual confirmed presence.
Whe did we put nuclear weapons in Ukraine? Because that would be the equivalent.
Moreover, after the Cuban Missile crisis, there were Soviet troops stationed permanently in Cuba for literally decades, with their own permanent base. Did we use that as an excuse to send U.S. troops to invade and conquer Cuba? No. They were allowed there because Cuba was sovereign. And we didn't even have any permanent bases in Ukraine.
Cuba is a perfect example of Russia having one set of rules for itself, and then demanding that everyone else abide by different ones.