What Putin fears is not military at his Ukrainian border, but freedom. He knows that left to decide their own destiny the Ukrainian people would choose freedom over his authoritarian bullyism. Given the choice, who would voluntarily submit to living under his thumb? Likely no one. But rather than fight a war he cannot win he could have let Ukraine decide for itself. He knew how that would turn out though and took the only path his evil mind thought open to him; military attack and occupation. But he has no end game…no way back. His rule is coming to an end. Russians will suffer the punishment for his/their actions for decades to come. At best they will be a North Korea-like protectorate of China. Or perhaps China will take the opportunity to take possession of the part of Siberia that was at the center of the Sino-Russian wars of the last century from their now weakened long time adversary. A lot of great mineral and agricultural resources there that China could well use. Why not?