I also think the Soviets in Germany and Poland pretty much have had it by the end of 2000. The Soviet Union has nearly completely unraveled by this time. The breakdown of order and the high casualty rate probably means that the hard-core commissars in the fighting units have gone to whatever reward good Communists receive. Granted, there may be a few dedicated commissars left, but it's just so easy for shell fragments, a raid by the Westerners or bandits, or a disgruntled private to send a KGB man to the afterlife that it's hard to imagine what a poor commanding officer can do to keep his political deputy safe...
Light infantry operations might continue for some time, but the intent will be derived from purely local concerns, not a bigger war-making picture. Reconnaissance will have to continue so that each side can keep their intelligence fresh; counter-reconnaissance will be necessary so that each side can conceal its dispositions. Each side may see raids as a necessary evil to keep the local balance of power tolerable and the troops sharp. However, in any given location a truce may make the most sense to everyone involved.
This goes to a phenomenon I see becoming increasingly prevalent as 2001 matures. The organized and (somewhat) disciplined forces of the world will come to see themselves as having more in common with each other than with the bandits and marauders that plague the countryside. At some point, operations against the common enemy may become more important than prosecuting a war that everybody has lost.
Webstral
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