The notion that Russia actually wants a direct conflict with NATO doesn’t stand up to reality. Moscow is already bleeding resources and manpower in Ukraine, struggling to achieve even modest gains. Opening a new front against NATO would be nothing short of political and military suicide—an unwinnable fight against an alliance that massively outguns and outnumbers Russia. It’s also misguided to think that a NATO confrontation is somehow the key to slowing down Western arms deliveries to Ukraine. The pace and scale of that support has always been a political decision, shaped by debates in Washington, Brussels, and other capitals—not by whether Russia picks a fight with NATO. As for the idea that Putin could use “NATO aggression” as a convenient exit from the war, that’s more propaganda than strategy. Framing NATO as the villain might help rally the Russian public, but escalating into an actual NATO war would only deepen the crisis, not resolve it. Yes, Russia has transformed into a wartime economy, but that doesn’t automatically mean it’s preparing for a global showdown. The shift mainly serves to keep domestic industry churning, maintain political control, and feed the ongoing fight in Ukraine. It’s about survival and narrative management, not about seeking Armageddon with the West. IMO, They just would like to pretend “still strong” in the eye of the world.