Great write up. It bothers me a lot when I see people suggest that supporting Ukraine is imperialist and therefore bad, and that Russia’s aggression should simply be accepted. Judging the actions of any entity based on what category you can put it into is dumb as hell when you can judge it on its merit instead.

I think in this case I can safely look at Russia’s invasion and say that they are the direct cause of death happening in Ukraine, and there’s not a greater good being served by their actions, just autocracy.

Is NATO bad? Yes, of course.

Is Ukraine warming up to NATO likely to directly result in thousands of people being killed? No, not that I can tell.

Would Ukraine not being admitted to NATO (such as if they’re taken over by Russia) positively impact the things that NATO does as an organization that are bad, such that the net result is better somehow? No, not that I can see.

Easy calculus.

It is obvious that helping Ukrainians defend themselves is good. Any analysis that puts countries, ideas, whatever above people is not an analysis I think is good. Ukrainians are fighting for their lives against an expansionist power and we should be helping them. Same goes for Palestinians, Armenians, people in Myanmar, the people of Rojava etc.