Does sending as many nominal dollars to Ukraine in a few hours of Congress as were sent to the United Kingdom in the whole of Lend-Lease during World War II count as a major role? Does bragging about killing Russian generals count as a major role? Does depleting our own stockpiles of weapons?

When asked about specific options the U.S. might pursue, less than a quarter of Pennsylvanians in one poll supported the policy that the Biden administration and its Republican cheerleaders are excited about: “Arm and support the Ukrainian resistance so they can kill as many Russians as possible.” In that same poll, 45 percent of respondents supported “imposing the strongest possible sanctions on Russia and seek a diplomatic resolution.” Who in Washington speaks up for this?

Nobody. The genuine and appropriate moral outrage that conservative movement leaders feel at Russia’s war of choice is joined to arthritic Cold War reflexes, and no substantial policy ideas. In the past week I’ve heard conservatives preposterously call Russia a “totalitarian” state. Or speak of its global ambitions. No, that would be our most important trading partner, China. Russia is merely an authoritarian state with a personalist regime on top, like our gallant NATO ally Turkey.