Putin supposedly furious that the war is not going better...report on Twitter, fwiw....

[Eyeball_Kid]

17. I don't think that NATO countries have reason to be petrified. Not even Finland and Sweden,

both of whom do not have illusions about Russia's desire for expansion.

Finland and Sweden have strong strategic and traditional ties with the West. They would receive assistance quickly if they needed it. They may not.

I suspect that Putin is showing his nuclear card as a bluff, as an intimidation factor. He can take his bullying only so far, and it shows that Putin can't muster the military strength to fight off NATO using conventional weapons and tactics. When he threatens with nukes, we can be assured that he's really frightened that he may indeed LOSE this war.

The UKR "officer" had at least one thing right: the enormous cost of the war will drain them, especially when they can't get raw materials for manufacturing more weapons. The oligarchs-- and Putin-- don't want to give up their billions for the war effort. They are NOT Russian patriots who would impoverish themselves to contribute to the war effort. This is NOT a defensive war. So the state treasury, with no ability to borrow more money for war making, will run out of cash. Modern mechanized weapons, like tanks, run on microchips. Without them, tanks become farmland ornaments. And microchip manufacturing and raw materials comes partially from outside Russia. Sanctions means that they can't equip their weaponry and their inventory is diminishing with no promise of re-stocking.

Supply lines WILL become susceptible to sabotage since Russia's blitzkrieg will never materialize, and supplies are likely running out. Occupation forces are hated. There will be no end to counterinsurgency attacks. My guess is that, already, Russian morale is tanking. Soldiers are getting news that the Russian citizenry is rebelling with anti-Putin demonstrations. They are despised at home and in Ukraine.

Without the West's opposition, and especially without the US/NATO strengthening alliances (since Trump's loss), Putin's adventure into Ukraine WOULD be a blitzkrieg and a much easier takeover.

No matter what happens to Zelenskyy, he will be forever revered as the UKR president-patriot who fought-- really fought-- beside his countrymen and women to save his country. If he and Ukraine survive the Russian invasion and Ukraine remains sovereign, he has the reasonable potential of becoming a world leader. Do not underestimate his actions at this moment.