Right now it probably looks like they are just going to go and do it. The pathway to escalation looks something like this:
Zelensky has proposed lifting restrictions on the use of long range weapons to attack and destroy Russian targets throughout the European portion of Russia.
Putin's statement about this: "when it comes to using highprecision long-range Western-made weapons, it's a completely different story. The fact is that, as I have already said, and any experts will confirm this (both here and in the West), the Ukrainian army is not able to strike with modern high-precision long-range systems of Western production. It can't do that. This is possible only with the use of satellite data, which Ukraine does not have this is data only from satellites of either the European Union or the United States, in general, from NATO satellites. This is the first one. The second, and very important, perhaps key, is that flight missions to these missile systems can, in fact, only be carried out by military personnel of NATO countries. Ukrainian servicemen cannot do this. And therefore, it is not a question of allowing the Ukrainian regime to strike Russia with these weapons or not to allow it. It's about deciding whether NATO countries are directly involved in a military conflict or not. If this decision is made, it will mean nothing more than the direct participation of NATO countries, the United States, and European countries in the war in Ukraine. This is their direct involvement. And this, of course, significantly changes the very essence, the very nature of the conflict. This will mean that NATO countries, the United States, and European countries are at war with Russia. And if this is the case, then, bearing in mind the change in the very essence of this conflict, we will make appropriate decisions based on the threats that will be created."
What that translates into is likely their arming middle eastern non-state actors with sufficient anti ship missiles to destroy our naval assets in the middle east, degrading Israel's defensive capability.
Meanwhile another factor driving thus situation towards WW3 is that both Zelensky and Netinyahu know that once peace is restored that both their political careers are over.
