With just the little help Ukraine received from NATO, even though Ukraine was not a member, has allowed Ukraine to pretty much hand Russia it's proverbial Ass on a silver platter. With the full help of NATO Russia would have been repulsed fully... probably even denied the Donbas region of Ukraine it took in 2014.
In fact considering the poor showing of the Russian war machine so far NATO could have taken a considerable amount of actual Russian territory by now quite possibly taking the region between Ukraine and Kazakhstan with relative ease.
In fact all things being considered without nuclear weapons Russia barely qualifies as more than a thorn in the side of Europe and its existence is a result of no one wanting the frozen tundra that makes up most of Russia.
IMHO Russia's best bet to remain a viable nation would be to suck up to NATO as to become a source of natural resources possible even becoming part of NATO... instead Russia is doing its best to imitate a military threat to try and blackmail Europe into being Russia's bitch. Kinda like a Chihuahua trying to make a great Dane it's bitch.
The time of warfare being used to dominate the world is over, this mind set is dead, somewhat like a zombie, now days the most effective way to insure internal peace and prosperity is by cooperation of nations and the real enemy is oligarchy using fascism to achieve internal control. IMHO!
The Zombies have to be eliminated, the so called "conservative mindset", is little more than zombies trying to recreate the past of societies being run by the fear of various outdated ruling methods/monetary systems like communism, capitalism, theism, monarchies, or other oligarchies.
These ruling systems are not just outdated they are toxic to human existence, yes small parts of some of these systems can be used to govern a region but none of them are viable for everyone in the long term.
Violent conflict must be allowed to die out and peaceful tolerance of those who are different but non violent must become who we are as a planetary civilization.