Equating this with WWII and expansion is an ahistorical weak argument. Trump got peace deals done because they did fat weapons contracts and gave massive economic incentives just to say ‘Israel exists.’ So, some gulf monarchs took the deal. It had nothing to do with his perceived psychopathy that got them shaking in the boots and rushing to sign.

As I often often often say, there are historical and strategic reasons as to why it is Ukraine and why it is now. Finland has bordered Russia for almost a century with no beef, showing one can ‘make a deal’ with the loony in Moscow and both sides will stick to it. It’s not being naive, when it is in countrys’ interests to be economic partners, they do it, when they feel threatened they react.

When one understands the full context and the perspective from the other side, one can see there is a version of rationality there. It might be wrong, we can disagree with it, but it is there. That’s why expert after expert after thinktank after professor after professor after diplomat and even the current CIA director said, “arming Ukraine will, at some point, invoke a response.” It isn’t irrationality or psychopathy or ego or rebuilding an empire. They knew it was coming.