Footnote: Serious beefing up means nuclear subs, nuclear weapons nuclear power and new high tech weapons. Some of which could come from local innovation. And a welcome change from exporting our finest minds and their best ideas! It also means more personal and skills upgrading!
Alan B.

What would Trump (Putin's man in Washington) have done? Well, judging on his actions in office? He'd have rolled over and begged for a tummy rub? Or handed over some of the U.S. high tech military advantages? Further weakened NATO with funding withdrawal?

Thank heavens this divisive Quisling was beaten with a record turnout in recorded history and allowed the U.S. to remain free and not an outpost of Putin's new SSR? Handed over as a divided rabble and on a silver platter?
Alan B.

Stephen Vincent Benet prophetically wrote the following
which is still relevant today:

"Oh, where are you coming from, soldier, gaunt soldier
With weapons beyond any reach of my mind
With weapons so deadly the world must grow older
And die in its tracks if it does not turn kind..."

Russian wire guided missiles damn near stopped the Israel tanks last time in the Sinai. How stupid the Russians thought their tanks could roll through Ukraine unmolested. Some are pretty slow learners.

Go back ninety years and Japan and Germany were spouting the same aggression justified by a paranoid narrative alleging that the rest of the world was in cahoots to destroy them. Now both are very prosperous democracies.

Ninety years later and Russia remains an autocratic regime with a poor economy, conducting unprovoked military offensives against its neighbours, its controlled media spouting a paranoid narrative about how much of the world is secretly plotting to take it apart.

Western nations have good reason to support the Ukranians. Giving them more hardware will allow them to destroy the Russian invaders more quickly. As well as the refugees, deaths and forcible expatriations, Ukraine has suffered over half a trillion dollars in damage to property and infrastructure.

Go back a thousand years and you will gain a greater understanding of why Ukraine will not win this war. Go back seven hundred years and you will further understand why China becomes involved in the outcome.
Ukraine the blood lands, not without reason.

The US would be much wiser to negotiate a settlement with Russia that tends to keep China isolated from the conflict. China has every reason more than the US to become involved.

If that happens, the new Empire is born and we lose…badly.

Dan