Having secured the backing of the Russian oligarchs and his people through an election, Putin appears ready to take on European NATO.

He is already blasting the Prime Minister Sunak of GB!  And has nothing good to say of the other leaders on the European Scene.  NATO, I hope your ready.  He's after big game, now; not the puny Ukrainian military.  He's thinking Russian Empire, even as he walked the halls of his Russian domain in celebration of another 6-year term of reign.

I think the President Macron of France is onto something important, not to be simply tossed aside, namely, come in with Zelensky's forces now, before the real battle begins for the whole of Europe.

I take President Putin's saber-rattling very seriously.  He can't handle the West, but he doesn't know that!  He may not understand that President Xi is simply pumping him, so to accelerate the Chinese space program. 

My opinion.