Otherwise we're going to see them chipped away at for the next five years until there's nothing worth saving.

Whether Ukraine wins tommorow, or Ukraine wins in 5 years when the country is nothing but dust is of no concerns to the americans. Zelenesky has pledged that american companies get first dibs on all reconstruction jobs already. To the americans ukraine is just a piggy bank waiting to be smashed. On that same note, the Ukrainians to the american's are just a happy little accident because not only do we get to study russian military capability/readiness. But we also get to grind down their military for free. Sure many Ukranians die, but to US command thats not our problem if they are happy to do so. The poles will be the next in line should russia continue its charge for some reason.

Europe would love access to those oil/gas wells in Crimea, but i doubt in any world Russia would allow crimea to fall to ukraine. Higher likelihood they nuke the border between crimea and Ukraine to keep the Ukranians from taking it (and by extension, europe out of those untapped wells)