It is indeed the way it is. This explains why the world is not going full steam ahead in supporting Ukraine such that they would win the war. It is a game of exhausting the enemy over a prolonged time, such that they are not capable of anything else but continuing to _try_ to take 'only' Ukraine.
The harsh truth is that Ukrainians are giving their lives for the freedom of Europeans and probably a chunk of the rest of the world population. Once one of the sides fully wins, Europe will get less safe, since the next step would be WMD.
You don't have to like it, but that's the way it is.