Theme: Governance

(Gotta admit tho, that a world war would hasten the postwar restructuring and make it far easier to end the globalists and their project. The USA no longer has strategic interest in world stabiligy. We get richer as the world descends into chaos.)

So nato does have resolve. They just know the problem for both Russia and china is economic and population collapse, and the high cost of the end of american insurance of world finance, transport, and tade.
Everyone knows these things. Ergo Desperation.

In either case, he will have restored the cold war conflict at the long-term cost of the Russian economy. If Xi moves on Taiwain or Iran expands, then he can act opportunistically because federations are easily overwhelmed by the rapidity of action by empires.

Hard to imagine Putin will ‘go home’ without a tangible victory. Minimum victory is taking of Donbas republics, and retaining forward positions. This is the least cost victory. If Ukraine attempts to re-take them then he will use the border forces against the capital etc.

Present likely scenario is russian siezure of disputed territories, without achieving strategic goal of limiting nato – but instead restoring cold war levels of border conflict between resurgent imperial russia and federal europe.