Perhaps the hallmark of the "modern European nation" in terms of liberalism is it doesn't conceive of itself as being in orbit around (controlled by) any one ethnicity (whatever the one).
Israel stands out as the hallmark ethnic state, and as such is the envy of many. But then Israel is not in Europe and Saudi Arabia is just as ethnocentric in its own way (we should talk about Britain more).
The American ideal is closest to having "race creed" etc. not matter on paper, even if in practice people are jerks.
This is why any talk of "Ukraine for Ukrainians, make us be in Europe now!" sounds so oxymoronic. The Europeans think: "you must be civilized first, and treat the Russians as equals" to which the Ukrainians reply "wait, don't you hate the Russians too?" which to many is the clinching argument.
What we need is
more agreement on "totalitarianism is bad" (dystopian) without all the
old branding. We've outgrown the old comic books.
What I'd remind Ukrainians of is that we're ethnically Russian over here too, in America.
Not only Russian, obviously.
Lots of Ukes. Lots of Ruskies.
We've learned to live together.
Sometimes I think Euros falsely conclude, based on clown shows in DC and recycled NATO propaganda, that America is foundationally Russophobic. To those with such a shallow understanding I'd say: keep digging. History is more complicated than good versus bad.
If you moralize a lot (or too quickly?), consider you might be a dummy.
XREF:
Statecraft: the Crafting of States
Rebuilding Ukraine
Breakaway Republics
Ethnocentrism
