Two Proud Presidents and His Royal Highness History

"Putin is on the wrong side of history" - Obama

(See: http://www.independent.co.uk/news/world/europe/ukraine-crisis-putin-is-on-the-wrong-side-of-history-says-president-obama-9166831.html)

I think if anything, history is laughing at both sides and the entangled, aggressive mess, driven by pride that constitutes the U.S. and Russia's relations and epitomises humanity’s flawed perception of existence.
To claim that history is on anybody’s side shows a foolish and dangerous accumulation of ego. History shows us that nobody can truly master the future; every rise is followed by a fall and all ‘greatness’ is relative to a time and a place.
Far too often, swept away by the confident moment of our existence, we forget our real insignificance on the wider spectrum of time; rather, we become overly self-absorbed in our ‘now’ and all its associated needs and wants we have to fight for.
Thus, upon achieving success to any degree, nations and individuals become easily convinced of their assumed stability and future victories and this confidence perpetuates the potential for conflict.
I'm not saying the U.S. is wrong to defend the Ukraine. Of course if a people’s land is threatened by a superior aggressor we should come to their aid. But I am questioning the basis of pride the U.S. and the West acts from. Obama’s warning and the media’s relishing revision of ‘cold war’ doom and gloom is volatile since it amplifies the atmosphere of conflict.
Overall, I'm pretty sure history, after all these tedious centuries, must be despairing at our continued incapacity to rein in our pride in order to prevent the further escalation of conflict.