You're trying to read too much into it. The reality is that no one wants war, its just the typical phallic object dangling. Having said that, things can get out of hand and escalate very fast. My concern is that we get to a point where russia does not care anymore for western response. Like for example, tomorrow US decides to physically torpedo Nord Stream 2 and switch off Russia from Swift just like that and declare that Ukraine is entering NATO in a week. At this hypothetical point, Putin gets a blank check to do whatever short of Nuclear war from his brainwashed population. So of-course we'll see full blown invasion of Ukraine and most likely of whole Eastern europe to go along with it. I am sure in this scenario, the Chinese would push the invasion in Pacific including Taiwan, Japan, Vietnam. While the NATO and Western world is better equipped, we have a lot more to lose. Do you want to fight Ivans somewhere in Ukraine or Chinese in Taiwan? I sure as heck do not.
To lay down your life fighting 'commies' thousands miles away from home so that Lockheed can make some money.
I am worried we're reaching that point slowly but surely. It reminds me of a rise of Hitler to world war 2, the people truly believed in Germany they were screwed over so much by the Allies and had little to lose.
We really do not want to get to a point where russians believe they have nothing to lose - for our own sake.