I am dumb, I realize this, but I do know that significant numbers of Anglosphere politicians (they're the ones I understand, and not just the language) see belligerence as an end in itself, and will prioritize punitive measures and the general satisfaction of chest beating for the cameras over the lives of people in Ukraine (and Russian lives too, of course).
There's also the general belief that "we" are actually all powerful, that all we have to do is choose to go kick some ass, that all we lack is THE WILL. The important thing is that Putin doesn't think we're pussies, no matter what justification they use. Of course this is ridiculous, but we are ruled by many (not all) ridiculous people.
