They only appease NATO because they are afraid of it as they should be. That won't change, especially with them being stretched so thin.

Seems to me that it's NATO that's spread thin. The US is busy getting its ass kicked by Iran, and the rest of NATO is a joke. Russia was pursuing a rational strategy of forcing NATO to deplete itself through attrition without going to all out war. Now that NATO is tapped out, Russia is turning up the heat.

Are you fucking kidding me? I don't even know where to begin on this nonsense.... You think UK, France, Germany and the US is 'Tapped out' compared to Russia? I would go deeper in attempting to debate you but that premise alone is hilarious.

The premise seems likely to me:

https://ecfr.eu/article/the-ticking-clock-why-natos-deterrence-against-russia-is-under-pressure/

https://www.politico.eu/article/europe-patriot-missile-ukraine-russia-war-winter-attack/

https://global.chinadaily.com.cn/a/202412/04/WS674f972ca310f1265a1d0e0c.html

Are they willing to send troops? Because if they aren't, the depths of their support is by definition tapped out.

It's not what I think, it's what western media openly admits now. It's amazing how disconnected from reality some people on here are.