I don't know how someone can look at what's going on in Ukraine and then scoff at military forces as just "killing each other." We are humans. Humans have been fighting since we were on the grasslands of Africa, and if we conquer the stars we'll fight there, too.
The only way you can protect a society is by being strong enough to intimidate the people in the world who would otherwise look at you and go "I want, I take." Wars are a great evil, but being prepared to fight one is a necessary evil.
The only way you can protect a society is by being strong enough to intimidate the people in the world who would otherwise look at you and go "I want, I take." Wars are a great evil, but being prepared to fight one is a necessary evil.