Yours is an interesting take. Do you mean that Russia is afraid of the consequences of hitting NATO? Do you mean they are afraid NATO could attack it and destro

Yours is an interesting take. Do you mean that Russia is afraid of the consequences of hitting NATO? Do you mean they are afraid NATO could attack it and destroy their country? I am not sure that may be the case. Ultimately, they did go ahead with their SMO in Ukraine. They are fighting, dying, and do not seem afraid of war. NATO, to the contrary, does not seem to have the leadership to take up a real war, besides their many hysterical Russophobic leaders, especially in the Baltics and Eastern Europe. Could it be that Russia may assess a large war as highly likely and is biding its time to build more weapons and prepare for it? Because that is a very valid alternative to your hypothesis.