Agree. A big invading army that has not maintained the tires on $20 million combat vehicles is not going to beat a smaller defending army that has properly maintained its $20 million combat vehicles. There are way too many who should understand this who are ignoring the implications of what this means.
However it is a made mistake for Western leaders to not pursue a diplomatic settlement but to totally humiliate Russia.
Disagree. Direct threats to national interests supersede politics and diplomacy. Ukraine's national interest is to survive by expelling the Russian army. If that humiliates Putin that is his problem.
Feel free to disagree with me on this next point. So far Putin has not made any truly credible nuclear threat. The speculation about him using nuclear weapons is for the press so they have something to be hyperventilate over. Putin wants to survive, and nuclear weapons means he won't. The hints that Russia might rattle sabers means they are trying to intimidate and they are not serious about it.
It is incredible how badly maintained, trained and motivated Russias war machine was
It is devoutly hoped that you are correct in your final point. From the Western perspective even a madman would be prevented from using nuclear weapons to “win”. Yet the Russians since ancient times whenever they were invaded or hard pressed, burned and destroyed their own villages, towns, cities, farms and factories so as to leave nothing for their enemy. Hitler, Napoleon and others were taught this severe lesson. There are some that will argue that such tactics are merely a military necessity but others will argue that there is a dark apocalyptic disposition in the Russian temperament. The Russians may not view the use of tactical nuclear weapons and the associated horror with quite the same mindset or restraint that Westerners may have. Hopefully you are right about the behavior of desperate, maddened Russian leaders.