Maybe I'm out of touch, but maybe putin DOES want a war. Rus is in kind of a shambles and economically down right now from what some of you have stated in this thread.

Tighten up your foil boys and girls:
WWIII - Rus acts out, world steps in and quashes, with damage to Rus motherland. World pays reparations and rebuilds/modernizes/updates infrastructure of Rus, to the ultimate betterment of Rus citizenship. (see: Japan)
Long tough road with much suffering, but a Rus win in the end.
Too far fetched? I, myself, find it hard to swallow that putin would knowingly face disgrace and defeat of self for the betterment of his people and motherland. Way too much ego.