Putin has to move soon or stand down. An army cannot remain poised on high alert for an indefinite period of time. Eventually its combat effectiveness erodes and it becomes vulnerable itself. If the Ukrainians were smart they would have used the time to obtain and drill with a drone system similar to the one the Azerbaijanis used to decimate the Armenian armor and army. They are delusional if they think NAYO will risk war with Russia to save Ukraine.
The Ukrainians are preparing everything and the kitchen sink for what’s coming, with regular people on duty prepping supplies, machine guns, etc.
Not sure there’s any level of preparation that can help them at this point though.
The best time for military action in that region is February when the ground is frozen hard and it’s easiest for armor to move around. NATO knows this thus the urgency to get Russia to stand down.
My money is Russia attacks Ukraine before February 15.