Exactly this. I don't know why this isn't obvious to people. I suspect it is- they just don't care about Ukrainians.
This is why I'm actually quite puzzled by the certainty of some realists like Mearsheimer that appeasement and Ukrainian neutrality are the realist choice in this matter rather than a full-throated support of Ukraine.
The latter seems like a much more stable choice than the former given the history of the dispute- Ukrainian neutrality already failed to prevent Russian aggression, and Russia has maximalist intentions with Ukraine.
Ukrainian support right now is a massive bargain. We are not only degrading Russian power in defense of Ukraine, but upgrading our military in the process. For pennies on the dollar of what the alternative would be.