cannabineer
Ursus marijanus
the thing is: I agree. It might come down to staring megadeath in the face.You might break the political machine again, but I fear without a damning show of force, the man in the street would keep yearning for how things were in the peak days of the old Soviet Union, and with some deep help belief that they can reclaim it. Kind of like they do now....
But my sentiment is set hard against overmuch (and how much that is, I have no idea) risk.
We have seen Russia’s army operate with very surprising ineffectiveness over the last months. While I believe our military, notably our “projection of power” forces (Air Force and Navy), are rather better, their last serious audit was 31 years ago.
Which brings the problem. US doctrine is a massive, crippling air offensive prior to more up close&personal combat. I don’t think Russian gov’t will react well to such a strike. It is the existential threat that they have warned will bring, in the sanitized phrase, battlefield nuclear events. I see no way that this won’t turn into mutual vendetta.