Libya was a NATO mission with UN approval. The decision to leave a failed state was also a UN decision, although no country (including the US) voted for prolonged presence there, despite requests from the Libya interim government: <a href="http:&#x2F;&#x2F;www.reuters.com&#x2F;article&#x2F;us-libya-un-idUSTRE79P6EC20111027" rel="nofollow">http:&#x2F;&#x2F;www.reuters.com&#x2F;article&#x2F;us-libya-un-idUSTRE79P6EC2011...</a><p>Ukraine was a mess even before Russia moved in. Even so, I think the situation in Ukraine is more Europe&#x27;s problem than the US&#x27;s, and as a European I do not blame Obama for ignoring it.<p><i>Saying that hey they don&#x27;t control this, sure and who does?</i><p>Eventually, the UN carries that responsibility. The US lost a lot of goodwill in Europe over its &quot;unilateral&quot; decision to enter Iraq the second time around. Obama insisted on going through the UN, and I think that was a good decision.<p>I get the impression that the US&#x27; prevailing opinion is that Obama made the US look weak. In Europe, the opinion is more that Obama exposed the UN for the toothless organization it is, and the US only looks stronger for it.