“...all of this is leading up to WW3 with the very real possibility of a resulting nuclear exchange...”
So therefore, Putin can take any and all European nations he wants if that is what it takes to prevent WWIII?
Putin wanted Crimea and the Donbas, then a land bridge to Crimea after the bridge connecting it to Russia was sabotaged. After Biden declared he wanted regime change and had no interest in negotiations, it’s likely the Russians surmised that the US is going for all the marbles so he needs to acquire further Ukrainian territory as a buffer. Russia hasn’t the manpower to occupy and control anything more than that even if they wanted to. Thinking they are trying to resurrect the old Soviet Bloc is ridiculous neocon propaganda.