"Putin has taken the under-dog position, despite the apparent preparedness for invasion and their preposterous demands wrt to NATO and Ukraine,"
Well Putin is the "under-dog" if you consider the combined military might of the US and NATO wouldn't you think ? What would be the total of US and NATO military spending compared to that of Russia I wonder ?
And I'm curious as to what you think are preposterous demands ?
"So the question I'm considering is: will the set-up with Russia start with a border clash"
I would say the Azov battalion will make an attack on the breakaway republics which Putin can ignore only for so long. The pressure will be impossible to ignore. Once Putin goes to the aid of the breakaway republics the US trap will snap shut. Massive sanctions to cut Russia off from SWIFT and the world economy and NATO/US forces will pour into west Ukraine.
