That was an interesting angle I hadn't heard before. Yep, jets from both sides will be playing chicken from far away. Let a $5m tank take a hit, but a $50m plane? Makes sense to use the plane as a scare tactic for as long as possible.

Another part is the immense logistics required to keep one modern fighter in the air. NATO has a long ways to go to play even a good chicken-chicken game.

While the rhetoric is saying "no," I would wager plans are being drawn up for a no-fly zone. Stuff may already be moving in.