This whole attack by Putin is becoming more and more obvious to be a "dummy" play. In football a dummy play is when you pull the guard to go to the other side of the field and the tackle thinking he is so smart follows him and then you run right in the hole vacated by the guard and defensive tackle.
So let's break this down.
1. What is the end game for Putin -- it can't be grabbing half of Ukraine with the entire world against him. In the end Russia would be far worse off. It can't be to intimidate Ukraine into not joining NATO because already we are seeing a number of other countries bordering Russia who now want to join NATO. No, I think Putin has a much more ambitious end game -- to replace the US dollar with the Ruble. To do that he must replace the US in the Mideast and to do that he has to sucker the US and NATO into attacking him so that he can then go nuclear on them in a counter attack. In a conventional war Putin loses. In an extended war Putin loses. But in a well organized counterattack with nuclear weapons he has a real chance.
2. So then you attack Ukraine but not with your well trained army, rather with conscripts who are poorly trained, do much worse in the field than people expect and as a result you give Ukraine hope of being able to beat you back. This in turn encourages NATO and the US to supply Ukraine with weapons, advisors, training and assistance.
3. Russia complains that they are now fighting against NATO and the US, especially when some very significant event happens that Ukraine was not able to accomplish on their own like sinking the Moscow, a key battleship in the Black Sea. So then Russia is very open about warning NATO and the US that they will force him to go nuclear.
4. The US and NATO see the Russian warning as a sign that they have Russia on the ropes due to their arrogance which causes them to be blind. This arrogance causes them to make a key blunder justifying Russia in attacking NATO with tactical nukes.
5. In response the US bombs Russia (perhaps after a false flag suitcase nuke bombing of US cities), also with tactical nukes. That was the goal, this now justifies Russia with a nuclear counter strike that is devastating to many coastal cities in the US while also destroying the electric grid for the continental 48 states with an EMP.
6. Without electricity the US is in a total crisis (no water, no refrigeration, no trucking or trains, blackouts in cities that are now overrun with looting and rioting).
7. With the US in crisis Russia now pulls out their real army and with a number of Islamic nations rides into the Middle East to seize control and destroy Israel. And China is now free to attack Israel without the help of the US.
If Russia were to control the security of the Middle East and China were to control Taiwan they (this alliance between China, Russia and the Islamic nations) would rule the world.