Despite everything, Stalin gave up: Finland, Greece, Austria, Yugoslavia (there were no USSR troops there). I don't think Putin would have given up on these countries, because even Stalin was more rational than he is. The Communist Party even limited Stalin, Brezhnev etc., who had to take its opinion into account, and Putin is like some old tsar who does 100% of what he wants and the all of the country just applauds him.
Russia and Soviet Union follow that tactics for many decades, Stalin became a huge WWII winner because of that. NATO can't really afford a war of attrition or any open war against above par army right now. And Putin knows that. At least the nonsense about nuclear bombs is over. That threat was never going to materialise since Ukraine isn't that important to be casus belli for WWIII.
You dont stop talking about poverty , i guess you compare the salary
cost of life is not the same everywhere , if you pay your pizza 10€ , it's 3 in Russia
Some times ago there was only sport and now there is sport and army, although many of them die in war because Putin doesn`t respect the lives of his own people.