Most dont consider, that skirmishes dont have to make use of all military capabilities. Take a look at india vs china [0]. To be clear, those sticks-and-stones fights still cost lifes, are totally unnecessary and for a power-corrupted US soldier maybe unthinkable but it does not have to be an all out war. Maybe some ghandian unarmed european opposition is all it takes for the US opposition to find some traces of a spine.

[0]: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/2020–2021_China–India_skirmish...

I mean, if we weren't, why send tripwire forces there? Just a bluff?

Presumably we're doing that because we're willing to have a war.