Chickens, before they hatched.

Nobody cares prior. The only people that care are the ones fighting, and the media covering nothing else. They cover it because it's another rag doll.

The West hasn't committed. By the time it does what has Russia got. Nothing it didn't already have. Minus a few angry peasants of course. What has the West got, another strategy creating an agenda. What agenda is that. Well that timing was perfect because they're selling something else. It's called the renewables, and the climate change Russia has created, when in doubt blame Russia for everything because it works, and they create and regulate some other advanced grid through their mainframes and satellites, offering the nuclear power, food, and evs to the friendly nations. Because Russia made them do it.

Russia has also dropped a brick on its head. It retakes a bunch of stuff it blew up, and has killed. It must piss them off more. A bunch of resistance they've armed back into perestroika, and all the West had to do was provide a cover story and a give them few guns. Alarmingly did it need a bigger war. Let's wait until Russia drops another brick on its head. But most would rather not. Some might, but they'll probably starve. Of course there's the fallout as supply lines redistribute, because there's a brand new price, and distribution, making sure the friendly nations buy into the newer technology being regulated. The rest can starve when Russia cannot feed them.

Perhaps there's a larger war from it. Doubtful. But there's probably a lot more angry peasants. They can't buy the nuclear evs anyway.

Any other speculation is largely where it goes from here. The only question is why. Not how.