Consider this.
Instead of being a lead story on the nightly news, we have the above video being turned into a gif and played on Jalopnik...a car website.
Ukraine is lost.
The nation is failed and the only thing left to do is to prevent the contagion from spreading. The fact that the Obama Administration hasn't admitted as much is par for the course. The fact that Putin pulled back his troops from the borders lets us all in on the secret.
The Russian mission has been accomplished.
If we can agree on that then only one burning question remains. If we failed to act aggressively toward Russia (and I don't think Ukraine was worth going to war over...but I'm no policy maker) when they invaded/destabilized a sovereign country then what happens when China seizes disputed territory?
If the clear eyed, realistic answer is nothing, then we've already lost. Online Twitter protests will not work. Pathetic sanctions on government officials will be laughable. And if the ties between Europe and Russia were too intense to risk then what about the ties between China and the rest of the world?
We have gotten into bed with a communist country and as a result have defeated ourselves. Unless we unwind economically from China then we can basically shutter our armed forces. They won't be useful in the coming conflict.