German security officials believe the Kremlin is laying the groundwork for a potential large-scale conventional war with NATO by the end of the decade.
German media outlets Süddeutsche Zeitung, WDR, and NDR also cite the report, noting that Russian President Vladimir Putin appears intent on testing NATO’s Article 5 guarantees. The alliance’s mutual defence clause obliges member states to come to one another’s aid if attacked. The assessment suggests Putin may seek to challenge how seriously that commitment would be honoured.
If Russia knows the USA won't respond, and may even help, this may work differently. It would take a lot to get any NATO country to fire a nuke, especially if they didn't have US support, and Russia knows this.
Lol, imagine thinking the USA and Russia would be on opposite sides when we have multiple Russian assets in the White House. And in Congress. And probably in the supreme court.