I don't believe Russia has 300k troops to call up without conscriptioning the young men in their country - and how many of them are able and willing to go into battle? Damned few - about the same as here in USA

A statement that NATO is not a military threat to Russia is a nonsense. NATO was formed to contain Russia by use of arms. The same could have been said about Poland and Germany on August 31st 1939.

This is a rich question: "Is invasion justified?"

There are cases where it was unambiguously justified, such as the invasion of Germany in 1944.
Germany had invaded the world and it was killing Jews.

There are cases where it's unambiguously unjustified. Democrats invaded Republican territory. Democrats are cultural conquistadors. They try to steal Republican kids. They install leftists AGs in Republican territory and refuse to prosecute criminals. Etc. This is invasion, by any definition. Is this justified? Where are the Republican death camps? Unlike Nazi Germany, Republicans don't have death camps. Republicans aren't invading Democrat territory. Therefore, Democrats are the Nazis.

Most of the world is invading Democrat territory. Republicans are one of the few forces that isn't.
Democrats should be grateful, but instead they're childish snots and they think Republicans are domestic terrorists, worse than the 9/11 bombers.

The Civil War is ambiguous. The South was an independent nation, and many Republicans favored letting it be. Invading the South comes at great human cost. But then the South invaded
the North, and war was on.

Jefferson: The tree of liberty must be refreshed from time to time with the blood of patriots and tyrants.

Regardless of if invasion is justified or not, regardless of if rebellion is justified or not,
it is always okay to debate the question. Jefferson said so. Free speech yo!

Democrats feel that even talking about rebellion against Democrat tyranny is a crime, punishable with maximum force. Democrats crush all protests under the pretext that it's an insurrection. Therefore, Democrats are tyrants, and rebellion is justified.

War is certain.

The US has set this up by meddling with powerful weapons support for Russia's enemy on their own doorstep - just like the Soviets supporting the enemy on our doorstep with nuclear missiles in Cuba in 1962. Both were breathtakingly stupid, as if nuclear war was not a possibility of making such a rash decision. It was in Cuba, and it is today.

NATO's purpose was fulfilled when the wall came down in 1989, and should have been disbanded. It has become a source of destabilization of the region since then, including inviting Ukraine to join, which is a provocation of Russia. Progressives in the US foolishly decided to interfere, and that has brought us to brinkmanship today.

The delicate US support of Taiwan on China's doorstep is the same problem. We dare not provide overt support for risk of provoking China; a nuance lost on the Biden administration that has chosen to rattle sabres, placing Taiwan at grave risk.

Apparently many are not aware of the strategic value of countries near superpowers, and how superpowers tend to include them in their defense (or offense) umbrellae; often regardless of the sovereignty of those small countries.

The Cuban military crisis was a direct and existential MILITARY threat to the US. The only response is threat of war.

The Ukraine war is a economical and cultural threat to Russia. Not military or existential.

So no, not the same at all.

China presents the same threat to the US. Should the US then be allowed to invade China?

Everyone saying NATO weapons in Ukraine… no, they were not being allowed into NATO or even considered before 2014.

Everyone saying bio labs… there are bio labs in almost every developed country. Why is Russia not invading China for COVID 19?

No, Ukraine was an easy target to try and save the failing Russia economy and declining influence.

And finally, only Russia is threatening to use nuclear weapons offensively. Everyone else is taking about nuclear defence.

"The War in Ukraine was easy to predict" Because it's Russia's equivalent to the Cuban Missile crisis of 1962.

what I said from the beginning -

I agree our foolish and arrogant politicians are culpable for stoking concerns that led to this war. However, the main difference is that the USSR would fly their war planes on the 200 mile point as they attempted to set up nuclear bombing capabilities close to our southern shores. The nuclear capabilities they were seeking to set up were rightly seen as an existential threat to the US. Fortunately, our Intel gave us enough warning before they were able to complete their plans and we were able to use all our i strummers of national power to alleviate that threat.

In the case of this war, although this posed a direct threat to Russia, the threat wasn’t existential. On the other hand, this.threat was a clear attempt to reduce Russias influence and weaken them by degrading their autonomy and national power with respect to their neighbors. This being said, I also would like to see those in the US government that stoked the flames that ultimately led to this war pay a price for their arrogance and the wanton loss of lives and world resources resulting from this war.