Yet many of his country's young men are avoiding conscription into the no-win conflict. Americans' sympathies should go to both Ukrainians and Russians suffering in Vladimir Putin's deadly geopolitical games, but Washington should stay out of the battle.

A century ago Europe was enveloped in death and destruction. The "Great War" raged, killing millions, ravaging nations, impoverishing peoples, and wrecking empires. Out of that conflict came the loosening of Russia's control over multitude subject peoples, including in Ukraine. The Bolsheviks soon reversed the process, but their Soviet-Russian empire disintegrated in 1991. Again Kiev escaped outside domination, this time hopefully permanently.

Independent Ukraine suffered mightily from internal divisions and poor governance. Politics was autocratic, abusive "oligarchs" dominated the largely unreformed economy. The country straddled the divide between Europe and Russia, with the Ukrainian people wanting greater Western integration without abandoning Russian ties. A strong majority rejected NATO membership, which Moscow would see as hostile.