[throwaway9524]

You should travel to parts of the Eastern Europe that used to be under Soviet occupation someday. Share your views on Russia with the locals over beer and you'll find out rather quckly why "blithely trusting the state department" is a hell of a lot better than dealing with the Russians. Not to say that people are wholly uncritical of the US. But having experienced Russia up close it's clear as day what's worse.

Also as a reminder Russia could end the war today by withdrawing its armed forces from the internationally recognized territory of Ukraine.