If there’s next to no chance of nuclear war, why don’t western countries join the war to take out Putin? Or just bomb Russia into submission?
Because attacking a sovereign nation is a massive step, and there’s Cold War squeamishness about US troops fighting Russians. So they’ll do what they’ve done and slowly ramp up support breaking lines in the sand as they go. I don’t necessarily agree but I understand.
Russia has repeatedly threatened nukes loudly then gone to backchannels to assure its not going to happen because they know it would make them an international pariah. China would drop them like a stone and likely Putin would get internal pressure too.
Putins whole thing is constantly threaten escalation because the West will back down and your ass never has to cash the cheques your mouth writes.