Why should the U.S. defend Ukraine?

They're not U.S. allies, they're not (officially) part of NATO. Why should the U.S. come to the defense of Ukraine?

I'm tired of the U.S. pretending it's the world's police. Unless an actual ally of the U.S. is attacked, America needs to back out of wars.

And yes, I'm aware it's more than just defending a weaker nation; it's really about the U.S. vs Russia. It's also about politics and not looking weak in front of voters. As far as Biden is concerned, he already looks weak; and since he's already damned if he does or doesn't, he needs to back out of this. Biden will lose face regardless of whether he enters this war or not; so why waste billions (possibly trillions) of tax dollars and American lives?

@vivify said
They're not U.S. allies, they're not (officially) part of NATO. Why should the U.S. come to the defense of Ukraine?

I'm tired of the U.S. pretending it's the world's police. Unless an actual ally of the U.S. is attacked, America needs to back out of wars.

And yes, I'm aware it's more than just defending a weaker nation; it's really about the U.S. vs Russia. It's al ...[text shortened]... nters this war or not; so why waste billions (possibly trillions) of tax dollars and American lives?

@jimm619 said
I would like to think that we will
come to the aid of any democratic country
in the same manner, I presume, as you would if
you witnessed a big, bully whipping on a smaller kid
in the playground......

@vivify said
They're not U.S. allies, they're not (officially) part of NATO. Why should the U.S. come to the defense of Ukraine?

I'm tired of the U.S. pretending it's the world's police. Unless an actual ally of the U.S. is attacked, America needs to back out of wars.

And yes, I'm aware it's more than just defending a weaker nation; it's really about the U.S. vs Russia. It's al ...[text shortened]... nters this war or not; so why waste billions (possibly trillions) of tax dollars and American lives?

@vivify said
That's quite a lofty ideal, and maybe could get behind it if America wasn't already such a warmongering nation. 7,000 U.S. lives lost in both Iraq and Afghanistan, that's not even counting civilian deaths, like reporters or citizens of the countries we invaded.

And that's just two wars out of the countless many the U.S. gets involved in.

Furthermore, the U.S. has n ...[text shortened]...
America has never been a friend of the weak, and there's no reason to start pretending we are now.

@mghrn55 said
Just as a coincidence, Tucker Carlson last week offered up the same narrative.
While on the surface, his reasons may be similar to yours, the narrative serves an additional purpose.
That being to preview a campaign platform for a possible Trump 2024 WH bid.
This has a two-fold purpose:
1 - to further Trump's goal of American isolationism (part of America first)
2 - to m ...[text shortened]... some of the questions surrounding Trump's "compromat" to Russia remain out there.

Just a thought.

@vivify said
They're not U.S. allies, they're not (officially) part of NATO. Why should the U.S. come to the defense of Ukraine?

I'm tired of the U.S. pretending it's the world's police. Unless an actual ally of the U.S. is attacked, America needs to back out of wars.

And yes, I'm aware it's more than just defending a weaker nation; it's really about the U.S. vs Russia. It's al ...[text shortened]... nters this war or not; so why waste billions (possibly trillions) of tax dollars and American lives?

You could reframe the question into:

Why should the US try to contain Russia?

That is a hegemonial question and should be answered the same as:

Why should the US defend Taiwan?

or reframed:

Why should the US try to contain China?

@kevcvs57 said
It’s either defend Ukraine today or Poland tomorrow, it’s better for all concerned that the Russians are dissuaded from expansion sooner rather than later.
What about the simple idea of not standing by whilst one country murders maims and rapes it’s way across another country?

@vivify said
The U.S. has never been concerned with defending weaker countries. Even in WWII, as Germany was conquering countries, the U.S. didn't get involved until *it* was attacked. Fast forward, this hasn't changed.

If the U.S. actually was in the habit of defending weaker countries out of some kind of moralistic principle, then I could agree with you; but that has never been the ...[text shortened]... e. Again, remember the Kurds, who the U.S. has repeatedly abandoned even though they've been allies

@kevcvs57
I should probably make it clear I’m not advocating for a war with Russia I’m advocating for a good enough poker face that we don’t have to go to war with Russia.

@kevcvs57 said
But the US will have to defend Poland and other nato members and it’s lot easier and cheaper to do that if Russian is not amassing a massive army on NATO’s eastern border.
People do not seem to grasp that Ukraine is NATOs buffer zone how does it make any strategic sense to let them match right through that buffer zone and you know, if we do manage to stop a lot of Russian and Ukrainian blood being spilt, what would it hurt.

@vivify said
They're not U.S. allies, they're not (officially) part of NATO. Why should the U.S. come to the defense of Ukraine?

I'm tired of the U.S. pretending it's the world's police. Unless an actual ally of the U.S. is attacked, America needs to back out of wars.

And yes, I'm aware it's more than just defending a weaker nation; it's really about the U.S. vs Russia. It's al ...[text shortened]... nters this war or not; so why waste billions (possibly trillions) of tax dollars and American lives?

@metal-brain said
It will be another proxy war.

@vivify
It is laughable, liberals, mostly being pacifist, weighing in on war strategy and tactics.
Cant wait to get Jiiiinmmm opiniot, or did he already give one