Even with the most cynical and selfish geopolitical view, this is a great example of "penny wise pound foolish". How many Active Duty US military personnel have died in that conflict? Zero.
If Russia were allowed to conquer Ukraine, the western border of NATO would be Poland, Estonia, Latvia, and Lithuania, then Russia's next incursion into these nations would mean US military bodies in harms way. Today, the only thing we have to do is provide the weapons the USA spent over the last 70 years designed to defeat Russians to Ukrainians that will use them. This is the cheapest and most effective war is US history.
There are massive economic benefits to USA in the years ahead:
- The USA is emptying is mothballed 1970 otherwise out-of-date era military gear so that we don't have to pay to maintain it
- The US government will be buying new modern replacements for our stockpiles which means massive economics boost to raw materials producers, designers, and manufacturers. All of that spending generates taxable income, creates jobs, and increases our industrial capacity for export markets (which are also replacing old Russian gear or buying new gear to defend against an aggressive Russia)
- Russia has had a geopolitical grip on Europe and Asian for decades because of energy needs. Ukraine has very large oil and gas reserves and right on Europe and Asia's front doorstep, with already existing pipeline infrastructure. Ukraine is a functioning democracy that is a ready made replacement to the totalitarian Russian.
- Economic stability in Europe and Asia is paramount to the USA's continued economic growth. Russia destabilizing both by holding energy hostage hurts everyone.
Call me old fashioned,
I will call you old fashioned, circa 1914. That isolation and non-interventionist idea in the USA made Europe spend at least 3 more years the decimation of WWI before the US got involved. WWII, where 291,557 American soldiers, sailors, and marines died, was a direct consequence of the long devastation of WWI. So when you're complaining about a war in Ukraine that we only have to pay a bill without spilling our blood, I call you short sighted.
But that’s just me.
Your money ideas are perfect for personal finance, however that same logic doesn't work at geopolitical scales.