We don't want to offend Putin. ...Sigh....Let him flatten Ukraine.
If his troops got killed by NATO while they're illegally in Ukraine, tough shit. That's not expanding the war. Expanding would be hitting targets inside Russia.
Putin escalation. Mistake of a missile into a NATO country.
"Wider war?"
Ukraine: How might the war end? Five scenarios
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European war
Might it be possible this war could spill outside Ukraine's borders? President Putin could seek to regain more parts of Russia's former empire by sending troops into ex-Soviet republics like Moldova and Georgia, that are not part of Nato. Or there could just be miscalculation and escalation. Mr Putin could declare Western arms supplies to Ukrainian forces are an act of aggression that warrant retaliation. He could threaten to send troops into the Baltic states - which are members of Nato - such as Lithuania, to establish a land corridor with the Russian coastal exclave of Kaliningrad.
The square outside Kharkiv's city hall has been destroyed by Russian troop shelling Getty Images
This would be hugely dangerous and risk war with Nato. Under Article 5 of the military alliance's charter, an attack on one member is an attack on all. But Mr Putin might take the risk if he felt it was the only way of saving his leadership. If he was, perhaps, facing defeat in Ukraine, he might be tempted to escalate further. We now know the Russian leader is willing to break long-standing international norms. This same logic can be applied to the use of nuclear weapons. This week, Mr Putin put his nuclear forces on a higher level of alert. Most analysts doubt this means their use is likely or imminent. But it was a reminder that Russian doctrine allows for the possible use of tactical nuclear weapons on the battlefield.
Putin would more afraid of the West than the West's leaders are of him. Repeat: The difference is he is more willing to risk other lives than the West's leaders are. Unfortunately Ukraine suffers. It's not easy to not take your position, but it still feels the best way to go.
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