> we have to save the underdog european country of Serbia/Ukraine or else the Austrians/Russians will gain a hegemony over the rest of the Balkans/Eastern europ

> we have to save the underdog european country of Serbia/Ukraine or else the Austrians/Russians will gain a hegemony over the rest of the Balkans/Eastern europe The West isn't actually scared of the threat of Russian hegemony over Ukraine. It's more just that it would be a tragedy for Ukrainians who have been trying since the early 2000's to shake free of them. It's also about solidifying the idea that you don't take over neighbors for imperial reasons. The appeals to "you could be next" aren't really a motivator in all this for any NATO country, but there is a lot of sympathy from liberal democracies for a country trying to become one being invaded by a relic from the past.