I wonder if the books have explored that more. But yes. Clearly the UFP is conflict averse. They would rather appease and buy time. Which ultimately created the Maquis and their supporters again as Sisko points out. Beaurocracy thought the Cardassians would settle down. Arguably it worked...

The Cardassians were a smaller nuisance without the power to really go outside their borders as their withdrawal from Bajor proved. It was the Dominion machinations that then pushed things into what would become the dominion war.