(1) Losing the War?
(2) Unpopularity at home with war and protests?
(3) Already significant meglomaniac tendencies?
(4) Fairly credible evidence of terminal or debilitating illness?
(5) 30+ years of pent up anger and resentment for fall of USSR?
(6) Basically being forced into the corner like an angry badger?
Tell me again how my premise is false?
Items 2, 3, 4, and 5 are true no matter what Ukraine does. Placing blame on Ukraine for those is disingenuous.
Item 1 falls on Putin. He has done a miserable job of preparing his nation for war and implementing a viable winning strategy. Again, Russia's incompetence is not Ukraine's fault, nor is it their responsibility to fix it.
Item 6 is flat out false. No one is forcing Putin to continue his war in Ukraine. He can end it today and maintain his position of power within Russia.
It's madness that might trigger World War 3. You okay with that?
The only thing that will trigger WWIII is showing weakness. Handing Russia the Sudetenland over Putin's threats will not avert a larger war.