Is it just the US, or is Europe involved? Trying to make it just about the US is a fallacy and is a belief by some that the US is the only one involved... So this is not a proxy war in the sense you believe. You truly believe that there was a workable peace deal on the table? or a deal being rammed down another sovereign countries throat as the other country, in this case Russia, just moved in and took the land they wanted......your view is out of balance.