Russia has limited means to enforce a blockade against Ukraine, remember the failure of the Berlin Blockade?
full invasion is not good option. Ukrainians are good fighters, maybe better than the Taliban. even Stalin could not pacify western Ukraine. Putin must think through what he really wants.
Exaclty.
Very hard to conduct blockade against air bridge, and now Russia has the option to send supplies /weapons by air to Cuba/Venezuela.
How you got to this conclusion about the Ukrainans ?
Do you think that the Ukrainans wants to die for the Oligarch and for the USA ?
It is not they wars. They would end up better as a part of Russia than anyting that they can hope.
This is the reason why Russia doesn't want to annex even Donbas.
And anyway, if they conduct military action against Ukraine then that will be an USA style war, with SEAD and lot of bombing against infrastructure.
Like as did in Germany/ Syria/Serbia, bombing junctions, transformer stations and power plants, drinking water distribution plants and so on.
What do you think, how much time it needs for Ukraine to agree with any condicion of Russia after a full destruction of electrical distribution network ?