Is it possible at all to negotiate, when Russia refuses to acknolwege Ukraine's sovereignty?
Does Ukraine need to give up some land (Crimea) at the end? Or is there something else for Putin to save face like what (?) they did with Wagner?
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...Why should we be concerned about Putin saving face? This is his fuck up, and he was given ample opportunities to put the brakes on before he ever invaded.
Because if you humiliate a delusional, crazy narcisst, he will not just give up. He will double-down. And this crazy narcisst has atomic weapons.
Mutually assured destruction.
There's no path for Putin to use nuclear weapons that doesn't involve the utter annihilation of Russia. I would be willing to be that that will be a bright line for NATO, because once it's clear that Putin will use nuclear weapons when he's not getting what he wants, it's clear that there's no other choice that preserves independence other than retaliating with nuclear weapons.