The best thing to combat Russia is to re-open the pipeline. Hit them in the pocketbook
(1) Dissipate the cause of this war: We give the Russians what they want. Yes, you heard that right, give them what they want, No NATO on their border other than what already is.
The prospect of nukes, hyper-sonic missiles with 6 minutes time of flight to Moscow, missile defense, Western forces being stationed in large numbers on their border long term... doesn't turn them on. And do you blame them? Would you want that done to us? Of course not.
(2) End this stupid ass war by making Ukraine negotiate in earnest.
(3) Let Ukraine have elections. Let Mr. Z move on. He's hated in Ukraine and only a hero in the West, with us having put him in power and propping him up. That's why we were 100% on board with Mr Z canceling the elections (I thought this war is about Democracy? LOL). We knew he'd be toast if that happens.
(4) End the sanctions. Everyone loses with those, literally.
(5) Try to create a long term big picture stability: Readdress the Conventional Forces Europe, Ballistic Missile Treaty and no NATO East expansion (new versions of them and make the later promise formal). Attempt to make formal, public, international agreements, with procedures for a remedy to a problem in place. HEAD IN THE OPPOSITE DIRECTION SINCE 2004: create dialog and mutual engagement, creating trust, and deescalation, methods to address a dispute, a punishment/cost for violating it...
If you really want to get down to it, and the hard core Russian hating folks here aren't going to accept this, this entire war in Ukraine, the dead, crippled, trillions in wealth lost, millions of refugees, the increased risk in a nuclear conflict, increase in proxy threats around the world is all simply because we chose to ignore Russia and do whatever we want. This caused a war: https://www.reuters.com/world/europe/ukrainian-president-zelenskiy-holding-talks-with-biden-adviser-says-2021-12-09/ There is no getting around that. And it was (((OUR))) call.
What Russia thinks does matter. Point made.
***Here's the real danger! While Trump will end this war. The forces of stupid which caused it, persist. Russia has no lobbying effort in the US. They do not contribute to election campaigns nor donate big to the parties nor form a PAC. There is little trade between our nations and our oligarchs/corporations don't use Russia as a base for manufacturing. Russia doesn't have a US media engagement plan nor is their media relevant in the US since about 2017: https://www.bbc.com/news/world-us-canada-41991683
This war is the consequence of the West having “interests” that are unchecked. We act with impunity. The Russian voice is missing. China has a voice. That is why you see this HUGE difference in how we deal with Russia vs. China, even though it is China which poses a larger national security threat to us, it is China that is far-far worse in terms of human rights, democracy, and all the other horse shit we pretend are the motivation for our involvement in Ukraine.