Agree that they would have no trouble winning conventionally, but are you sure they know how that would end?<p>A few years ago, I think consensus would have been that Russia wouldn&#x27;t annex a sovereign state or deploy military assets in support of a separatist movement.<p>... I think reality is a lot more complicated.<p>If they decided to go for a big push, and realized they could hasten victory substantially by deploying a few low-yield tactical devices? The international community has proved nothing other than &quot;It&#x27;s easier to ask forgiveness than permission.&quot;<p>Besides, in a hypothetical case of annexing all of Ukraine, does &quot;Russia used some tactical nuclear devices&quot; really look that much worse than the also-present &quot;Russia invaded and annexed a sovereign state&quot;?