If someone were to invade, say, North Korea, they would be very likely to intervene, as they have before. Maybe that isn't an official "alliance", per se, and it certainly isn't an equal partnership, but the effect is the same
I don't expect they're going to be eager to repeat this exercise for a long time, even if they do manage to grab part of Ukraine. If they don't, it's more a question of even surviving as a regime.
If they do manage to grab a part of Ukraine that won't be the end. They'll be fighting a western backed resistance movement. The USA and allies sank over two million million dollars and twenty years trying to hold Afghanistan after and failed. If Russia 'wins' in Ukraine they'll be in for a far rougher time.
@then_three_more@CanadaPlus Putin's big threat about Sweden's entry was the nuclear one, so we'll see about that. He's been rattling that saber for some time now. Doubt even he has the stomach for that one. He is one cold bird, but that would bounce back horribly.