In the era of "the only defense is the first offense" the very LAST thing you want to do is to deploy expensive strategic assets on your border, let alone in territory that no one feels that your opponent striking would be unfair.

NATO is absolutely fighting Russia, they are just doing it stealthily through advisors, paid mercs, and elite units.

They all just went 'bingo!' with glee as they have their CIA/SF types plotting how to send mercs in to capture / safely destroy (or even better fire it at Kiev).

For bluffs to work you need to occasionally hold the cards and be willing to play them.

Instead of this, do nothing but threaten to burn the world what Russia SHOULD have done is greater than proportional response at each and every occasion.

This is our territory now, you take one place we destroy 10.
Bring out the heavy bombers and flatten places in West Ukraine (after eradicating the local resistance).