IMHO we pulled too many punches and greatly overestimated the strength of the Soviet Union.
There isn't going to be any world war because neither NATO nor an independent Ukraine are fundamental threats to Russia's existence and they know it: they lived with an independent Ukraine for more than 20 years.
Russian/Soviet chest beating is a historical tradition simply to see how much they can get away with. It didn't work during the Cold War and I see even less reason to give in now. If you want negotiations, here's a starter: Russia withdraws to its Feb 23 lines.
We won the cold war yet Russia is threatening nuclear war. If it happens then we DIDNT win anything. Do you see nuclear war is an all round loser ? Or not?
Oh you don’t see the impending economic and energy collapse due to sanctions? They lived with Ukraine inon their border so long as we stayed out . The moment America interfered in 2014 Russia refused to live with it. We set the stage for war. W then used sanctions that will provoke war. We then almost certainly took out pipelines that will start WW III.
Even if not, do you get that energy and economic collapse is coming? The Ukraine issue is BS. They could be rounded up and slaughtered and the coming energy collapse is STILL more important.
Do you get what acting in the West’s and not Ukraine’s interest mean? Ukraine could vanish from the earth and it still would be ok so long as we survive. This is survival. Do you get that?