It had seemed like a kind of magnanimity at the time. It looked more like necessity now. - James S. A. Corey

We're the ones who followed the rules here. We came with science teams and a hard dome. We hired them to build our landing platform, and they killed us. We're the good guys here.
And the moral high ground is a lovely place," Marwick said, as if he were agreeing. "It won't stop a missile, though.

After a certain point, the past becomes irrelevant.

That sounds like post hoc realpolitik rationalizing bullshit.