[empiricus]

The west just played some superficial games. But in the end the west is not serious, and they won't seriously protect Ukraine. Ukraine would not join NATO, it was not real, the west does not have to balls. It was just a pretext for Putin to invade it.

[s1artibartfast]

It wasn't a superficial game, it had very real stakes for the Ukrainians, and the Russians as well. Thing may turn out quite nice indeed for the west, but only time will tell.