Putin wants to believe NATO is an offensive power that threatens. The problem is Russian Czars can only have men march forward. If men come back to Moscow Russian leaders can fall.
Putin is shedding the Russian men who would take him down in the fields of Ukraine.
Games within games.
If Putin orders a nuclear tactical strike we will absolutely have to take him out. Because no one can order such a strike and ever survive. If he orders one strike, he orders more strikes. He has to be killed right away not matter how many good reasons we can think of.
If Nato enters Ukraine with boots Putin can get away with tactical nuclear weapons. Or he begins and we have to finish him but we can lose tens of thousands of men in NATO in the process. The Russian public would support Putin if our boots on the ground in Ukraine.
Russians are super cynical culturally. Putin’s days are numbered. Lets push him.