The most basic problem is that Russia have treated it as an existential threat. Mobilised their entire economy, and it turns out, had been planning for this for years. The west just gave Ukraine all their spares and didn’t make any kind of plan for what to do next. It’s a complete failure of leadership and forthought and we’re really just lucky that it _isnt_ an existential threat for us, because we’d be really screwed if it was.

Not treating it like an existential threat is unfortunately, making it more likely it will become just that.