Arthur, you’re right that NATO was created to counter the Soviet Union, and as you stated, “There ain’t no Soviet Union no more.” But NATO’s role has evolved to maintain stability and prevent unchecked aggression that could lead to larger conflicts.
History shows that appeasement and/or inaction often backfires. Chamberlain’s Munich Agreement emboldened Hitler, leading to WWII, and Stalin exploited post-WWII inaction to dominate Eastern Europe. More recently, Russia’s annexation of Crimea in 2014, met with limited consequences, set the stage for its invasion of Ukraine. Russia has a pattern of exploiting hesitation and appeasement to advance its ambitions.
By supporting Ukraine now, NATO is deterring further aggression and protecting allies like Poland and the Baltics. NATO isn’t seeking conflict—it’s preventing escalation.