Putin is trying to build himself a buffer against the Western Block by making a new Eastern block, but I think the motives are different from America's in conflicts. Putin wants to build a new Soviet Empire, America is naive and gung ho, but I also genuinely believe they want to try and make the world a better place.
I think I can somewhat illustrate my points about the Yanks in some of the middle east conflicts over the past 20 years:
Afgan- America wanted revenge on those who harboured the terrorists who massacred the civilians in 9/11, they didn't attack anyone immediately, but worked out who had done the attack and then went for them. They did well in the initial phase then not so well in the rebuild, probably because their principles got in the way. I don't think the Americans would have ever thought this way but I would have starved the Taliban of finance once militarily in charge by buying the opium off the farmers and paying more money that the Taliban.
Iraq - GW wanted to finish his father's conflict - Saddam was a tyrant but kept a lid on all the other nutjobs in Iraq. In 2020 hindsight it would have been far better to remove Saddam during the first Gulf War (With the start of the 2nd Gulf War there were WMD lies plus Saddam was playing games with the weapon inspectors time and again. In the conflict again the American's did well militarily and then dropped the ball with how to deal with it afterwards. The British kept far more structure from the regime trying to modify the existing power structure to remove those who were dodgy and promoting able experienced men who were already familiar with leading. The Americans - all Ba'ath party were removed leading to destabilisation exploiting by radical Islamics and then that spread to the British controlled areas.
Syria- Another 'strongman' Vs various rebels. This was one where neither side was a shining beacon of hope, I always said with this better the devil you know with Assad, but I think it was a genuine desire to help the populous that America got involved. Bomb something/ everything before realising hang on I'm not sure which side are the bad guys
As said in Team America (if you don't like bad language don't watch) - Team America = USA, F.A.G- EU?, Kim Jong Il- Putin:
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Any war in Ukraine will be bloody and Putin will just keep doing it if he is not stopped and regularly attack the smaller countries around him to keep them bent to his will.