Russia has the economy the size of Italy. Three American states have bigger economies than Russia. Were more advanced than them on every level technologically economically militarily. The only thing they have is nukes which they'll still have no matter how Ukraine turns out.
We would wipe the floor with them in a head on military conflict.
> defend democracy
That's been the propaganda reason for previous wars...
That doesn't mean they aren't a military rival, Russias been building up there military stocks for decades, and inherited huge stockpiles as the successor state to the USSR.
That stockpile pile is being so quickly decimated that Russia is starting to dig into there stockpiles of tanks that are 60+ years old.
> That's been the propaganda reason for previous wars...
In what way is helping a country defend itself from a brutal imperialistic invasion not helping defend democracy?.
It's not anything that I'm willing to work a few extra hours a week to pay for.