All this talk about Ukraine conceding something for peace is all an ego saving exercise for the aggressor that is Russia.

Everyone keeps putting the burden on Ukraine as though Russia has no responsibility here. Russia could end this war tomorrow. It started it by invading Ukraine unprovoked.

And this framing is extremely bizarre as Ukraine was open to serious proposals for peace. Russia just had no interest in actually being a good faith participant. Russia is the one making nuclear threats. Russia is the one that annexed Kherson, Zaporizhzhia, Donetsk, and Luhansk. Russia is the one attacking humanitarian aid convoys. Why should Ukraine trust anything from the Kremlin at this point?

Thus far Russia has shown what it does to Ukrainians in the occupied parts of Ukraine. And has shown no revision of its maximal goals. Absolutely ridiculous to assume concessions without Russian good faith would do anything but make matters worse.

This is the same Russia that started this war in 2014 and annexed Crimea. And then invaded this year. This is like staying with a domestic abuser hoping they'll change.

It's like saying that perhaps the victim of the domestic abuser should have the restraining order put in place after a violent assault removed, in order to improve relations, when the abuser keeps violating said restraining order.